Road signs in Iceland are visual communication devices placed along roads and highways throughout the country to provide information, warnings, and guidance to motorists and pedestrians. Iceland never ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, but road signs in Iceland conform to the general pattern of those used in most other European countries, with certain design elements borrowed from Danish and Swedish practice. Signs tend to be more sparsely employed than in other European countries, especially in rural areas.

A sign displaying the location of scattered farms and homesteads in a rural area of Iceland

Most road signs in Iceland are not retroreflective, making them harder to see at night.

Design

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Distances and other measurements are displayed in metric units. All text within the main signs and on auxiliary signs is exclusively in Icelandic with very few exceptions.

Colours and shapes

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Icelandic road signs most closely resemble their Swedish counterparts, with rounded corners and yellow backgrounds. However, there are many differences in detail, especially in the silhouettes used.

Shape and colour are used to indicate the function of signs:

Type of sign Shape Border Background colour Text/Symbol
Warning Triangular Red Yellow Black
Prohibition Circular Red Yellow Black
Mandatory instructions Circular White Blue White
Supplementary Rectangular White
Red
Blue
Yellow
White
Black
Directions, sometimes Rectangular Black Yellow Black
Information Rectangular White Blue White

Typeface

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A version of the Transport typeface employed on road signs in the UK – modified to include accented characters and the Icelandic letters ð (eth) and þ (thorn) – is used on Icelandic road signs.

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The original legal source for these are the Icelandic Transport Authority,[1] first ratified in article 289/1995[2] and subsequently amended in 2019 by 365/2019[3] and 548/2019.[4]

Warning signs

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Prohibitory signs

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Mandatory signs

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Information signs

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Service signs

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Route and direction signs

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Directional signs within the urban Capital Region of Iceland (including Reykjavík and its surrounding areas) have a blue on white design. Outside the Capital Region, signs are generally black on yellow.

Direction signs

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Temporary signs

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Additional signs

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Old signs

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Traffic lights

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References

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  1. ^ https://www.samgongustofa.is/ [bare URL]
  2. ^ https://www.samgongustofa.is/media/log-og-reglur-i-umferdarmalum/289_1995-Reglugerd-um-umferdarmerki-og-notkun-theirra-nr_289_1995-20130625.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  3. ^ https://www.stjornartidindi.is/Advert.aspx?RecordID=3f94b8e1-8912-4640-a8ae-ac40d840b96d [bare URL]
  4. ^ https://www.stjornartidindi.is/Advert.aspx?RecordID=c3b9b11b-b3bc-4667-bfeb-5030395dcba9 [bare URL]
  5. ^ "Traffic Signs and road markings in Iceland". carrentalss.com. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  6. ^ "Traffic Signs and road markings in Iceland". carrentalss.com. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Karlsson, Guðni (2021). Driving in Iceland. Netökuskólinn ehf. p. 165-172.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Traffic Signs and road markings in Iceland".