Cover page 1 - UNECE

1 Cover page 1 Cover page 2 Disclaimer The present publication, which contains consolidated versions of the Vienna Convention on road Signs and Signals, the European Agreement supplementing the Convention and its additional Protocol, has been prepared for information and reference purposes. It is not a legal document and is not intended to substitute the official legal texts of the Convention, the European Agreement, its additional Protocol and the amendments to them. The symbols of the official texts are provided on page viii of the present publication.

2 ECE/TRANS/196 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. ISBN: 978-92-1-116973-7 iii Foreword As road users in our everyday life, we tend to take for granted the system of road traffic rules , signs and signals, which has been developed to regulate road traffic and avoid accidents. However, a considerable amount of research and planning has gone into this system, which has been developed gradually since the start of motorization in the early 1900s and more intensively since the Second World War. Efficient, safe and sustainable road traffic requires adequate regulations for the construction of roads, for the manufacturing of vehicles and for traffic on the roads.

3 Given the trans-frontier dimension of road traffic , it is essential that such regulations be internationally harmonized on the basis of internationally agreed regulations. The UNECE has, since its creation in 1947, developed international regulations on the various components of road traffic : the road , the vehicle and road users. Incorporated into legally binding agreements and conventions, those regulations are regularly updated in order to keep them up to best practices and the best available technologies. The implementation in UNECE countries of these agreements and conventions has greatly contributed to lowering the number of people killed on UNECE roads despite a sharp increase in road traffic .

4 However, while this evolution is encouraging, there is no room for complacency. In 2004, more than 140,000 people lost their lives and about 5 million more were injured on the road in the UNECE region. In the whole world, figures are daunting: about million people die and between 20 to 40 million more are injured every year in road accidents, of which about 80% in low- and middle-income countries. In addition to personal tragedies and tremendous human suffering, road accidents are estimated to cost to society about US$ 500 billion a year worldwide.

5 A most basic requirement to reduce these figures drastically is to put in place appropriate road traffic legislation that is based on the relevant international conventions. In resolution A/RES/60/5, the United Nations General Assembly encouraged Member States to adhere to the UN Conventions on road Signs and Signals and on road traffic in order to ensure a high level of road safety in their countries, and also encouraged them to strive to reduce road traffic injuries and mortality in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

6 The present publication contains consolidated versions of the Vienna Convention on road Signs and Signals, the European Agreement supplementing the Convention, and its additional Protocol, incorporating all the amendments that have been prepared and adopted by the UNECE Working Party on road traffic Safety ( ) in order to make their safety provisions more stringent. I believe that, if applied, these legal instruments will contribute to preventing many deaths and injuries on the world s roads and I encourage all United Nations Member States that have not yet done so to adhere to and implement them as soon as possible.

7 It is often said that time is gold. In this matter, time is also human lives. Let s act quickly to save many lives Marek Belka Executive Secretary United Nations Economic Commission for Europe v CONTENTS Page Disclaimer .. ii Foreword .. iii Historical background .. vii Part I Convention on road Signs and Signals, of 1968 (Vienna Convention) .. 1 Chapter I General Provisions (Articles 1 to 4) .. 3 Chapter II road Signs (Articles 5 to 22) .. 7 Chapter III traffic Light Signals (Articles 23 to 24) .. 15 Chapter IV road Markings (Articles 25 to 30).

8 18 Chapter V Miscellaneous (Articles 31 to 36) .. 21 Chapter VI Final Provisions (Articles 37 to 48) .. 23 ANNEXES 1. road Signs .. 31 2. road Markings .. 57 Diagrams .. 63 3. Reproduction in Colour of Signs, Symbols and Panels Referred to in Annex 1 .. 83 Part II European Agreement supplementing the 1968 Convention on road Signs and Signals .. 109 Text of the European Agreement .. 111 Annex to the European Agreement .. 117 Annex- Appendix (Models of road Signs).. 129 Part III Protocol on road Markings, Additional to the European Agreement Supplementing the Convention on road Signs and Signals of 1968.

9 133 Text of the Protocol .. 135 Annex to the Protocol .. 141 Diagrams .. 151 Part IV List of Contracting Parties to the 1968 Convention on road Signs and Signals .. xx Declarations and reservations .. xx vi CONTENTS (continued) Part V List of Contracting Parties to the European Agreement supplementing the 1968 Vienna Convention on road Signs and xx Declarations and reservations .. xx Part VI List of Contracting Parties to the Protocol on road Markings, Additional to the European Agreement Supplementing the Convention on road Signs and Signals xx Declarations and reservations.

10 Xx Alphabetical index of the Vienna Convention on road Signs and Signals, the European Agreement Supplementing the Convention and its Additional Protocol .. xx vii Historical Background The origins of international legislation on road traffic may be traced back to the International Convention on Motor traffic concluded in Paris on 11 October 1909. The problems of motor vehicle construction, of admission to international traffic and of signs and signals were already dealt with, as regards the essentials, in that Convention.