American reacts to Why US Signs Look Different Than The Rest Of The World’s

Thank you for watching me, a humble American, react to Why US Signs Look Different Than The Rest Of The World’s
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[@AlexGys9]

When an American says "it would be nice if we had a universal system for something" it usually means there IS such a universal system but the USA just refuses to use it

[@gs78798]

I think Ryan was sarcastic because he knows about that universal system.

[@stewedfishproductions7959]

@@gs78798 That's VERY debatable... 🤔 😅 😂 🤣

[@nielsdebakker3283]

@@stewedfishproductions7959 he made a video about it, so much for a debate.

[@AlexGys9]

@@gs78798 I know, he even implied the metric in his comments. I was not referring to Ryan personally, just in general.

[@stewedfishproductions7959]

@@nielsdebakker3283 I will 'go out on a limb' now and guess you are NOT British (?), as you seem to have TOTALLY missed our sense of humour (which often includes sarcasm and 'ribbing' ...) But hey! no problem, we grow up learning to 'taking the piss out of each other' - you get hardened to criticism - like 'water off a duck's back'. 😎 EDIT: Because I missed the closing bracket! (For Americans, the parentheses sign, as used here, I think?).

[@fgm5225]

When an American says "it would be nice if we had an universal whatever" it usually means "why don't everyone else adopts our standard?" :p

[@MiguelBorgesphotography]

true

[@irrelevantdumbass5307]

yeah why won't 96% of the world adopt our standard .... measuring shit with our feet and having signs with words on them because we are so dumb we can't memorize what a image means. We are talking a bout a country were half the population can't even read a analog clock ... that would think a stick shift is for pro's only ... were they have 599 genders .... MURIKA ... the worlds primary provider of stupid

[@JoannDavi]

Well, America must get a lot of things right, otherwise it'd be difficult to explain how it is the biggest economic power the biggest military power, the most influential cultural power....

[@moffat5914]

​@@JoannDaviyou must be American because the rest of the world thinks your a joke 😂

[@stevenjohnson4190]

@@JoannDavi that doesnt explain why the rest of the world should change to suit america.

[@mariokajin]

You don’t have to learn each traffic sign, you just have to learn that the triangle ones represent danger, the round ones represent prohibition or direct order and the rectangular ones are there for information about the road and thereabouts.

[@marcmonnerat4850]

And colors. Blue means information or obligation, red danger, forbidden, etc.

[@nathnn3419]

very very dangerous advice. There's no point knowing whether it's an order or a warning if you don't know what it says. Besides, this is not always true, “give way” is an order, in a triangle. And, not passing at all, or not parking on the side, it's not the same thing, and it can be expensive like "crap, a fine, ouch it's salty too" or like "OK, where do I buy a new car?" And not knowing the highway sign means risking finding yourself 100km too far relieved of €40 to go and back... time and money that would have been much better spent in a good restaurant enjoying local cuisine. It can depend on very small details, sometimes, a good vacation.

[@joeldumas5861]

There are 24 official languages and 3 alphabets in the EU. And that's only for the EU. The average European have a mother tongue, a more or less mastered second language and 1 or 2 more or less broken languages. Far from 24! So do I. I'm glad that I could drive in Greece or Bulgaria (Cyrillic) or elsewhere in the world without having to decipher an alphabet and a language I'm not familiar with.

[@ki5739]

I think this is the answer. In the USA there is one language spoken by all drivers, so no problems to describe the road signs. but in Europe? There are 3 official languages in Switzerland and they write everything three times. Quite confusing even with 3.

[@stevepage5813]

For a long time, North American cars had buttons on the dashboard etc... with words on them. Why would they cater for any language other than their own American - oops I mean ENGLISH?

[@viceroyzh]

@@ki5739 There are even 4 official languages in Switzerland; that's why pictorial signs are used there, too. And given the huge and increasing number of illiterate or non-English speaking people in the US they better switch to pictorial signs.

[@bentekik7137]

​@@ki5739 same here in Belgium , 3 languages. (Dutch, French and German)

[@KaiHenningsen]

@@bentekik7137Of course, the US has *no* official language ... and as for everyone speaking English, well ... not really, no. Most, perhaps, but far from all. Also, while it may be impolite to point out, the number of illiterates is also fairly high. But I think the bigger problem is that they don't dare try to make a real driving test, because so many people absolutely depend on being able to drive, because first, they destroyed most public transport, and then started planning cities so ass to make good public transport almost impossible to build.

[@DruncanUK]

In the UK we are required to learn the road signs, if not, we fail the driving test and that means no licence. America:” I can’t read and you are discriminating by trying to make me! I have rights, you know!” 😂

[@sushi777300]

It would be boring if all was the same though

[@ProfessionalKafir]

This is literally the entire video summed up

[@lulu111_the_cool]

​@@sushi777300yeah like. Where are all the crashes and dead ones?

[@JoannDavi]

That made no sense. In America, the signs make the ability to read the words on them a requirement.

[@JoannDavi]

@@lulu111_the_cool - There are many countries where auto crashes and deaths per capita and per mile'km driven are higher than in America.

[@JoannaHammond]

The advantage of pictorial signs is that they are faster to process, to understand and are language neutral. Reading text is a slow process and increases risk, not to mention that you have to understand the language.

[@JoannDavi]

Having to understand the language is a good thing.

[@NoZoDE]

@@JoannDavi Yeah I speak German and Spanish but want to drive from Germany to Spain. Oh no I have to drive through France do I now need to learn French as well? If you just want to drive through a place or are a trucker you just want to understand the signs. All of the arguments of the original comment are true

[@TheProdiga1One]

@NoZoDE I totally agree with you, but I guess it's makes more sense in the states where, in a continent, one language is spoken, whereas in Europe, many languages are spoken. I still think the pictoral signs are more logical.

[@TripleOmega]

@@TheProdiga1One *Mexico has left the chat*

[@ChristiaanHW]

@@TheProdiga1One what about the millions of people in the US that only speak Spanish ?

[@darkknight8139]

It is really convenient to have universal signs all over the world. Imagine Europe with US signs, but all in their own language. If you travel from Spain to Denmark, you have to learn Spanish, French, German and Danish first. In the US, English is such a universal language that text-based signs are not a problem. Although it has been proven many times that people recognize and remember pictures better, so the time between seeing a sign and interpreting it is shorter with pictures than it is with text.

[@Bzhydack]

People reconise pictures from further away also, because they need to see only vaugue shape, while letters you need to see clearly.

[@oliverwestphal3082]

I fully agree, because it even seems to be impossible for polish, czech, baltic, hungarian and other truck drivers to ensure the german rescue alley in a traffic jam on the Autobahn. How should that end with language based signs.

[@Nael_Infinite]

@@Bzhydack - In addition, the colors and shapes are already giving information like triangle are for "Danger", circle for "limitation" if red of "obligation" if blue, etc. And although most of the people don't learn it this way, the brain is good at categorization so it picks it up naturaly.

[@module79l28]

I always laugh when I see Doug DeMuro being confused about the functions' buttons of the non-US market cars he reviews because they only have symbols instead of text like the US-market models. 😂

[@davidconner-shover51]

I remember having a passenger in my car who spoke no English she saw a sign that said BUMP she asked Que es BUMP? we then hit the bump I answered Es BUMP

[@jm56z43]

Image-based is faster to read and doesn't require language comprehension (for the most part). Also, the bright colouring and repeating signs makes it harder to miss them.

[@jur4x]

you do get some signs combo with a small sign at the bottom telling about exceptions, which is usually all words in local language. But 9 times out of 10, if that exception applies to you, you already know that. Like "No Parking" paired with "except "XYZ" permit holders"

[@Belaziraf]

Either the average American have lower than average cognition capabilities, or the authorities have decided to make the citizen as stupid as possible without them realizing.

[@steddie4514]

Road traffic signage in Europe is pretty much standardised with the difference being between miles (UK) as opposed to kilometres in the rest of the countries.

[@darrylbrookes2780]

im not so bothered about us using miles in the uk , but its pisses me off no end using miles per gallon as a messure aswell as only selling fuel in liters , plus out gallon is a different size to the american one because out pint is a different size. i feels some times like brits have both systems to explain our slow lil brother america to the rest of the world lol nearly every liquid is sold in ml and l exept beer is pints answell as milk stake is still sold in ounces when cocaine and weed have now moved to grams i think it about time to just give over to metric lol

[@jamesleate]

​​@@darrylbrookes2780 I like our nonsensical system, it confuses foreigners and is idiosyncratic. An eccentric system that you only understand if you've lived here a while suits our personality. You can also buy milk in pints or litres in the same shop. I far prefer the metric for the most part but miles are superior to kilometres in my mind.

[@martinconnelly1473]

I went to my nephew's wedding in the Padua area of Italy last year. We spent a week in southern Bohemia just outside of the Prague city limits with my son and his family then went to Legoland in Germany by road. After a couple of nights staying in a local hotel we set off for Italy travelling via Austria. After the wedding we spent a final night in Padua then set off in the morning travelling back through Italy, Austria, Germany and back to Prague Airport to fly back to the UK to drive home from the airport. Imagine doing this if the road signs differed between all the countries and put everything in the local language.

[@stephenlee5929]

@@jamesleate Of coarse miles are superior to kilometres, they are bigger so must be better. 😁

[@stephenlee5929]

@@darrylbrookes2780 I think grams for coke was true in the 60's.

[@jbird4478]

When I started my driving lessons I already knew what all the sign mean. I think this applies to most people, because we grow up with them. Many of them are pretty obvious, and there's a system to it as well. E.g. red triangles are all warning signs, so a red triangle with a pictogram of a train means you'll get hit by a train if you don't pay attention.

[@gerdahessel2268]

....rund und rot heißt Verbot....

[@chipsthedog1]

I had a little highway code book to help learn all the signs and stuff but one passage that always made me smile was about level crossings where it said 'Always give way to trains' I always thought if you need telling to give way to a train you definitely should not be driving.

[@berndbrotify]

@@gerdahessel2268 Round and red means don't do that. Round and blue means that you do. If it's triangular, you are in danguar.

[@jur4x]

@@chipsthedog1 there are crossings where it's the opposite. Trains are stopped in favor of cars. Though, it's a bit more complex than just the sign for a train "give way to cars"

[@chipsthedog1]

@@jur4x Really? I've never come across a level crossing where trains give way to cars and that bit always made me picture some lunatic playing chicken with a speeding train that weighs hundreds of tonnes.

[@giniemery8022]

I didn't know "learning things" meant "makes things harder"... Yes, we do have to learn the signs. I don't know about the other countries but in France we even have to learn them first, among other things, take a driving theory test, then we're allowed to finally set foot in a car. I guess we can say it's "harder".

[@arjix8738]

Well, most of us grow up learning the signs before we even take a driver's test. Do it ain't hard for the average European.

[@robopecha]

americans hate learning. that is what i noticed by now. the concept of not liking to learn things is still weird to me.

[@JenniferRussell-qw2co]

Same thing in UK, theory first then actual driving 2nd for test 🙋‍♀️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🇫🇷

[@Groffili]

A police officer was sitting in his car at a country road, waiting for speeders. He noticed a car passing by very slowly, barely 20 miles per hour. He thinks: "Driving that much too slow is as dangerous as driving too fast, and why are they going that slow? Do they have something to hide?" So he pulls up behind the car and signals them to stop. Insider the car a five little old ladies, staring at him with shocked faces... except for the driver, who asks: "Officer, why do you pull me over? I wasn't speeding." He explains to them that going too slow was the reason for the stop, but the old lady driver doesn't get that: "How could I have been too slow? I was driving almost exactly the speed limits posted on the signs. See... there is one... and it says: 22". The officer laughs and explains that this isn't the speed limit; that sign tells the route number. The lady at the wheel laughs as well, and the officer turns to the other women in the car, who are still sitting there, starting at him with the look of abject terror on their face. "See, ladies," he tries to comfort them "Just a simple misunderstanding. I'm not going to take you to jail." "Oh, officer," says the driver "They aren't worried about you. But we were on Route 144 just a few minutes ago."

[@-Nobody-1]

I guess thats a funny joke, but kinda dumb common speed limits end in a 0 or a 5… always soooo. Speed limit signs are square, route signs are in the shape of a shield.

[@solaccursio]

😁😁😁😁

[@krisavi]

​@@-Nobody-1if you are old enough to be able to read the number but not see the shape nor text and both have the same colors then you might just as well think it is the speed limit. Granted you should not be driving, but since you have no driving test to validate the ability to drive, then you cannot just take away the licenses either.

[@Scamander]

Of course we don't use words on road signs. They have to be understood by people who don't speak the language. The only reason the US is getting away with it, is because English is the lingua franca of the west. The road signs still suck, though.

[@SatieSatie]

Exactly. The very point is that the signs are universally comprehensible, irrespective of one's linguistic capabilities or literacy level.

[@JoannDavi]

@@SatieSatie - Knowing the language is a good thing.

[@SatieSatie]

@@JoannDavi Eh, yes obviously? But there _are_ illiterates, tourists, expats, and visitors from other countries; there'll always be. Why jeopardize both human lives and road safety when you can easily circumvent the problem? Also, it's not just about the language. It's about not having to learn the different traffic signs of every country you visit. You know... to prevent accidents from happening. You gotta react fast on the road and if you have to first remember what that sign is supposed to convey each time you encounter one... well good luck. So, how many languages can you speak fluently? :)

[@gerdahessel2268]

​@@JoannDaviThere are about 200 languages in Europe. Learn fast!

[@kultres5920]

​@@JoannDaviwhich one

[@Tom11Technik]

To recognize signs in Europe, we learn them for driving licence test to pass

[@speleokeir]

Most of us learn them in childhood, so it's just the more unusual ones you really need to learn.

[@-Nobody-1]

No way really? Thats crazy! Thanks for the info!!

[@Frahamen]

In general, things are invented in in all kinds of countries but usually an American finds a way to make profit of it. Americans usually invents the "commercially viable version" of a prototype invented somewhere else.

[@Ekitchi0]

That's literally been Apple's strategy.

[@JoannDavi]

That makes America beneficial to humanity. We make things accessible to as many people as possible, not just the wealthy few.

[@wessexdruid7598]

@@JoannDavi Except money. By definitiion of 'the wealthy few'.

[@dennisbohman3848]

@@JoannDavi Beneficial to humanity? Please! Brag when patents are used for free with no disclaimer, like the time when Nils Bohlin let 3 point belt be free to use, no strings attached.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Light bulb, television, refrigerator, car itself... It's always the same.

[@Fudce]

The main reason pictographic signs are superior is because the images are mostly universal. Imagine if, for example, Japan had text based signage, and an American goes on holiday there, and is driving around and comes across this: キャメルクロッシング The American won't know what that says. (I don't either, mainly as I used google translate) but if they saw a sign that had a picture of a Camel in a red triangle or even a yellow diamond, you'd know what it means, "Camel Crossing". Interestingly, "Animal Crossing" is one of the examples of Americans adopting a pictographic system, and they understand it fine.

[@preschoolenglishwithtumtum4283]

I can read katakana just fine but I would be confused why there was a camel crossing in Japan. On road signs where there is text there's also English text. Getting around Japan knowing only English isn't so hard as most signs are also in English. It's by far the most useful 2nd language to know in Japan.

[@WerewolfLord]

I would have never got "camel". It's like getting "tuffle" from ツフル .

[@LinaGenX]

Norwegian here, our driving test is two parts, one written, and a driving test. In the written test you have to know all the signs, how to navigate a roandabout, when it's legal to pass another car on a two lane road etc. The shape of the signs have meaning too, the triangle signs means danger, like the road is narrowing, or watch up for falling rocks (it'sNorway, that is a thing), the center of the sign depicts what kind of danger with a pictogram. The round signs means either speed limit, no entry, or you cant stop here, our stop signs looks just like in the us, rectangular signs are information signs, like how many kilometers before you reach Oslo, or what direction will eventually take you to Bergen. It's not that complicated, and the signs are pretty much the same all over, and ppl in Europe do drive to other European countries quite frequently. I have been on long roadtrips in the US, and your system works too, it's just different

[@voidseeker4394]

I noticed that American road signs are basically just text explanation in English, but the rest of the world uses pictograms to overcome language barrier. Also, general shape is standardized: round with red border, white background and black symbols - prohibition sign, same as prohibition, but triangle shape - warning sign, round shape, blue background with white border or no border, white symbols - prescriptive signs, same as prescriptive, but square or rectangular - informational signs.

[@Anson_AKB]

YES ... and even when you are far away or passing the sign fast, you still can clearly see that a prohibition, advice, etc is coming up, in contrast to "oh, there might be a traffic sign ahead because i see something yellow". And then a pictogram/icon can be recognized much faster than the text on some other sign, which needs to not only be seen, but read. those icons also can be rather large (eg taking up all the space of the sign for a simple arrow) and thus recognizable from far away, in contrast to the words "pass this sign on the right side" which result in the letters being pretty small and readable only when nearby. All of these advantages also are completely unrelated to being the same or a different language, font or script.

[@jur4x]

@@Anson_AKB Also, imagine writing in text "speed limit 50 on working days 07:00-22:00" and expecting people to notice that when doing 90 prior to that sign

[@krisavi]

A blue square with white number on it is suggested speed, blue round with white number on it is the minimum speed limit. Blue round one still follows the format of obligation, if it is an arrow, you have to go that way, etc.

[@krisavi]

​@@jur4xyeah and imagine seeing this in all official languages. In some EU countries there are up to 4 official languages.

[@hat9172]

"It would be nice if we all had a universal measurement system. Someone needs to invent that. " They did in 1790. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand proposed a system which in broad terms most if the world has adopted - metrication.

[@A._Meroy]

Yeah, but the guy who was supposed to bring the new system to America was kidnapped by pirates and never made it there, and so they didn't get the news and are obviously still unaware. No just kidding, he already reacted to metric vs imperial videos. He was just being sarcastic.

[@hat9172]

LOL. Those pesky pirates eh? But thanks for the steer. I don't habitually watch this channel so didn't know he had "done metric" and was riffing on it.

[@GeorgStalmann-ip9wi]

When the metric system was invented, there were hundreds of different local miles, foot, etc. being used in Europe because feet and strides are individually very different. So a system derived from the human body seems intuitive at first glance but every body is different so you will have difficulties reaching standardized measurements for exchange of goods and services.

[@TrondBørgeKrokli]

A useful point I remember from vexillology (flag science) is that if you have to include text in the image, your design has failed in one of its major basic principles. One of the more important things about flags and signs is that you should be able to glance briefly at it and know what it means (at least if you have acquired a driver's license for cars, motorbikes or similar).

[@andreasloboda1794]

I haven't even gone to driving lessons yet, but a good chunk of signs used in traffic? I learned in primary school. It was a required knowledge because as 11yo, we were expected to be independently involved in traffic as pedestrians and cyclists and knowing the signs was important for our own safety.

[@freakygoblin3068]

Universal distance measurement does exist, it's called the metric system. As far as words go, you should remember America speaks English and is huge. In Europe each country speaks a different language so words would be applicable for a smaller area.

[@A._Meroy]

Yes, he knows that. He was just being sarcastic and self-ironic.

[@paolocarpi4769]

He made videos about metric system, Ryan was ironic.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

If we want to be pedantic, most of america speaks spanish and the US have no official national language.

[@grapeman63]

Given that 24% of the US population are ethnic Spanish or other speakers, doesn't having roadsigns with English texts prejudice those road users? They first have to translate the English sign into their own native tongue before reacting to its warning, thus potentially wasting vital seconds in response time. If the signs were pictorial they would have the same translation to meaning time for all road users and all would react on broadly similar time scales, thereby increasing road safety.

[@marmac83]

so learn English...

[@leDespicable]

@@marmac83 Kinda arrogant of the people that stole the land from others to enforce their language there lol

[@JoannDavi]

@@marmac83 - Yes!

[@JoannDavi]

@@leDespicable - Are you from a country that behaved like a saint? No, because such a thing doesn't exist. Get off your high horse.

[@lucabaroni7715]

English is NOT the official language in USA...

[@garethdwatkins]

Don't forget as well that we have 27 EU countries and several outside the EU that are all in a driving distance that is less than driving in the same state in the US. Where I live I can drive out of France into Belgium and on the Luxembourg, Germany and even northern Italy in only a few hundred kilometres (shit there is that universal distance system again) ... Now here we have 5 different languages.. Imagine if it was all written in the local language, like 'No Stopping on the Railway Crossing'.. Many foreign travellers would not have a clue, and we'd have zillions of dead foreigners every year..

[@-Nobody-1]

If a person decides to park across a railroad track do you think they would be capable of noticing a sign?

[@garethdwatkins]

@@-Nobody-1 They'd probably be on Google translate trying to figure out 'What does that sign say??'

[@-Nobody-1]

@@garethdwatkins youre telling me you think someone needs a sign to know not to park across a railroad track….

[@garethdwatkins]

@@-Nobody-1 No because in Europe you get a picture sign that any foreign, illiterate or stupid person could understand... Unless of course you're American and then it'll be 'Shit what does this picture sign mean.... Blaaamm..Crashhhhh!!! '

[@-Nobody-1]

@@garethdwatkins nonsense

[@bexyr]

Here in Italy (and in Europe) you have to pass a theoretical test in which a big part consists in signals (the road signals, the pavimets signals and the ones present on vehicles) and their importance between one and the other. For example if in the same location there are 2 different kind of signals, one painted (stop) and the other "put on the road" (to yield), the last one is the one you have to observe to. The fiscal board signal (I don't know how do you call it) put on the road is the most important

[@cohengrunfeld]

It's exactly the other was round, Germany and france react in thr EU. They also could say "We are bigger, why should anyone else tell us what to do?" But they know, that it's Important for the community, and guess what - in long term both Sides profite from it. (For example an european train control system, so trains are able to drive from Norway to Italy without Problems. And this is an big improvement, not just for smaller nations, but also for the big ones). And as you already mentioned: with this attitude, more countries would still use the imperial system, but as we noticed, it's a superior system, we changed to metric and gained from this. It would be stupid, to stay with the old and complicated system, when there is a newer, superior and international well-known and used system, wouldn't it?

[@JoannDavi]

Bad comparison. Germany is *in* a supranational union, the EU. The USA (which is much bigger than Germany) is *not* in a supranational union.

[@markusolofzon]

@@JoannDavi it isn’t a bad comparison if you had understood what he wrote. A common standard simplifies trade, business and also it can simplify the lives for citizens. And in turn that will boost economic, social and cultural development. Signage is one example.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Remember to use your local foot. Ours is 289 mm, but if I move 40 km west the city uses 296 mm, and if I move 90 km northeast they use 287 mm and 100 km southeast they use 292 mm. (Just as note, the old imerial foot was 304.799 mm and the old US foot was 304.80061 mm, the current metricized imperial and USCS foot are both 304.8 mm)

[@davidz2690]

@@JoannDavi The USA is more of an EU equivalent tbh, the states within the USA are more equivalent to countries

[@assellator7298]

If you drive it is more easier to recognize a picture than an written text..

[@A._Meroy]

Also, if you would go to a different country where you don't know the language very well, you would have to stop at every sign and pull out your dictionary in order to understand what's written there. That's probably not much better than ignoring the signs entirely.

[@Sofasurfa]

And as general rule you’re not stationary whilst reading road signs. And I believe that after a while you don’t consciously read the signs a lot of them are just ingrained.😊

[@assellator7298]

🤣👍@@A._Meroy

[@assellator7298]

😂👍@@A._Meroy

[@vrenak]

There is already an internationalconvention on road signage, the US and some other countries just chose to ignore it, and go with their "wall of text" signs.

[@1jimbly1]

there is a standard measurment system ..everyone uses it except for 3 countries USA is one that does not.

[@DatBoi_TheGudBIAS]

Roasted 💀

[@cohengrunfeld]

He is aware of it, he already reacted to videos roasting the USA for still using the imperial system instead of metric. So this comment was in purpose. And you are explaining his joke.

[@Spido68_the_spectator]

He was being blatantly sarcastic

[@nswinoz3302]

Obviously, not blatantly sarcastic enough?

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

The more I see about America, the more I'm glad I'm not there!

[@jensschroder8214]

According to the Geneva Convention, there is a universal scheme for traffic signs. Europe, Asia, Africa and Mexico agree. 0:55 This is the sign for no stopping and no parking. The American stop sign has been internationally recognized. 2:32 The American sign for no parking corresponds to an international traffic sign, only a P is added. American "give way and yield" signs and the colors of road "traffic lights" correspond to international suggestions. American road signs are English text based. International road signs mostly use uniform characters. This makes it easy to recognize them in different languages.

[@HenryProperCall911]

Who tf has time to read while driving? Red bordered white triangle means give way, red circle with number means speed limit, full red circle with a white ''minus'' means wrong way. The US of A always had to be different I guess.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

That's the whole point of breaking away from Europe genius!🙄

[@HenryProperCall911]

@@Timbothruster-fh3cw Awww did I hurt your widdle feelings? Are you offended? Angry? Just please don't shoot up a school or something.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

@@HenryProperCall911 Offended, Angry? That would require your opinion to matter, it doesn't, I was just being informative. Nice try though! 🤣🤣

[@lesleycarney8868]

Here's my take on it . . just a thought . . Because a lot of American's usually don't travel as much as us they can't see the good of catering for people who don't speak their language for road signs . We in the rest of the world do a lot of travelling and receive a lot of tourist's so we see the sense of a visual sign as opposed to words as a great safety bonus. I also think for the same reason too that we don't have a fraction of the road side bill boards either

[@oskarprotzer3000]

just the fact that you say "how our signs LOOK" and that you didn't even remember they had words on them clearly shows how image based signs are superior

[@AnonEMoose-wj5ob]

In the UK driving rather than stopping on the 'pavement' is banned, since to us the pavement is what you call the sidewalk. Parking on the pavement (sidewalk - which is defined as when one or more of a parked vehicle's wheels are on the pavement) is not specifically banned in England (yet!) EXCEPT in London where a minimum fine of £65 applies. Elsewhere, however, depending on the circumstances, you could still incur a fixed penalty notice for obstruction (at the discretion of the police).

[@sk-sm9sh]

His ad transition is so smooth that by the time you realize you're watching ad you've already seen it and it's too late

[@corringhamdepot4434]

here's an idea. Make all drivers learn road signs as part of their diving test. 😉

[@LexusLFA554]

Every time I play ATS I have to squint my eyes not to miss some small message that might be written on your signs. Sometimes I even have to bring out camera mode to freeze the game so I can look.

[@Il_Misantropo]

Signs with symbols are preferred to those with letters for various reasons: reading distracts the driver and at the same time those who cannot read that language cannot understand what is written. If I went to Japan or an Arab country and saw a sign with ideograms or Arabic writing, I wouldn't be able to understand. The same thing goes for pedestrians: if you have an elderly person who has lost their sight and can't see the writing from afar but sees a nice prohibition sign, they understand immediately. The same goes for children who may not know how to read, but recognize a figure.

[@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072]

0:12 Canada: *_whistles nervously_*

[@anglosaxon5874]

Americans have to label everything with words [education system] whilst the rest of the world uses symbols [same with the gadets in the car].

[@stanleymaximillian8403]

What are gadets?

[@anglosaxon5874]

@@stanleymaximillian8403 cigarette lighter, four way flashers, lights, heating, etc. you know the gadgets on the dashboard.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

And as an American, I don't read the signs just memorize the shape, unless it's a posted speed limit which varies.

[@stanleymaximillian8403]

@@anglosaxon5874 ahhhh okay

[@vladimirarnost8020]

How does the substantial number of Americans who cannot read deal with the text-only traffic signs? I would guess these are the people who would benefit from the international traffic signs the most.

[@rockrane1]

" american bubble" 😂😂 i really do love Ryans ironic humor!! 👍👍

[@karinfribergheppin7410]

Why on earth are US road signs like whole novels to read??? You don't have time to concentrate on reading when you are driving

[@Pscfreitas]

Funny suicidal fact: US citizens can drive in Europe.

[@krisavi]

Yeah but shouldn't be allowed to until they learn signs. No such problem for European driving in US... Unless they don't know basic English...

[@karlbmiles]

@@krisavi Most of the Vienna Convention road signs are built into U.S. federal guidelines and state laws. Language signs are sometimes necessary, and you can't have a pictogram for every traffic regulation.

[@albaaviles7148]

@@karlbmiles We only have very few road signs that use words in Europe. Apart from highway signs which tell you the directions so you obviously need text. The vast majority use pictograms and we do just fine. We have signs for so many situations, for example, stuff like prohibition for horse carriages, horse riding, handcarts, vehicles transporting explosives, vehicles transporting toxic substances, prohibited parking for the first half of the month, the same thing for the second half, danger of falling rocks, fog, snow, obligation of using snow chains, and so many more. Yes its a pain in the ass to memorize all of them for the test but its not that hard and for every day driving you only need the common ones which most people know since they're kids because we see them every day

[@raisinette35]

For the most part, Americans can't drive a manual transmission, are shocked to discover that they cannot make a right (or left) turn when the traffic light is red, and are clueless what universal traffic signs mean and say, but it is perfectly okay to rent a car and drive around Europe, where public transportation is efficient and plentiful, and a car is completely unnecessary, for the most part, except for transporting baggage to and from the airport. *shaking my head*

[@olsa76]

If you can't take your luggage on a bus or train, then you've packed too much stuff.

[@MoreThanaPint]

Also, Americans like renting Vespa (scooter) without knowing how to drive it, especially when they have to drive them on cobblestone roads

[@JoannDavi]

You're all happy to take American tourists' money, though....

[@Zerodess]

@@JoannDavi like Americans do from people all over the world visiting the US, what's your point exactly???

[@MoreThanaPint]

@@JoannDavi well yes, we profit of their naivety. And I hope, when we visit US, we don't get in their ER as much as they get in ours.

[@freemind360]

9:10 I think it's easier to get a driver's license in the US because there are many areas that don't have adequate public transportation. In Europe you have to earn it, which perhaps minimizes the fear of education.

[@coasterairtime]

8:30 that's kinda the point I think: you can just process symbols much quicker than a bunch of text. I also was curious when you said you didn't know some of the road signs. In Europe the drivers license test involves also the street signs.

[@gamesandglory1648]

It does in the US too, at least where I live, and it included signs I had never seen in 16 years of my life before

[@jonathanwetherell3609]

Images work. The time taken to see an image based sign, process it, understand it and take action (or reject it) is a fraction of the time for a text based sign. Even when the face is obscured with snow, the base shape still works.

[@olisipocity]

Road sign language is made to be as universal as possible regardless the language, and if you understand the basic principals it becomes easy. To obtain your drivers licence you need to take a theory test and a practical. In Portugal it takes 28 lessons just for the theory and 32 hours of driving practice and 500 kilometers of road traveled (which should include, whenever possible, two hours of night driving). On your theory exam you are only allowed to fail 1 sign and 2 rules. (not interchangeable). As theory goes you need to know the road signs and the road rules. In the case of conflicting signs and rules occurring simultaneously, there is a hierarchy to determine which one to obey.1st: law enforcement office; 2nd Signals; 3rd rules. There are vertical signs and horizontal signs. The vertical signs have a higher hierarchy than the horizontal and the traffic lights are at the top. The road signs are separated in 4 major categories: information; prohibition, obligation and danger. The information signs are rectangular or with a pointed side for directions and tells you general information such the name of locations, service areas, rest areas, name of the road, services etc... They are usually white with black characters or blue with white caracteres. Prohibition and obligation are round, with the 1st painted red with black caracteres and 2nd blue with white characters. The danger signs are triangular with the vertices pointing up (except the yielding the right of way, that as the vertices pointing down). They are yellow background with black characters. There is one signal that is different from all the others, the stop sign, which is octagonal . The colors of the stop sign are typically red and white. The octagon (eight-sided shape) is red with white letters that say "STOP" inside it.

[@Findalfen]

That's one of the reason why with my French driving license I can virtually drive on the roads of almost every countries in the world, while US citizens have to pass a new permit in each country. For instance, in Japan, while they drive on the other side of the road, I just had to have my license translated into Japan.

[@margreetanceaux3906]

The main difference? We avoid words - you must be able to understand it, even if you can’t read (yet).

[@marmac83]

I don't know many toddlers with licences

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

​​@@marmac83So you don't know many Europeans then?🤔😂

[@vanesag.9863]

@@marmac83 I think he/she is trying to say that you can't read (this new language different to your mother tongue) yet. I don't have time to learn 23 new languages to be able to visit friends.

[@rasputinorco]

road signs must not have writing, and must contain graphic messages, not only to allow foreigners to drive safely, but above all because you don't have to slow down to read the sign, you understand how you see it; it is safer even for native English speakers. If I had to read signs that were all similar, but with different writing, but with the same graphic font, I would go crazy

[@gamingtonight1526]

You have to speak English to survive in America. In Europe, there are many nationalities, and people travel across borders a lot more.

[@Sophie.S..]

If I saw a Russian sign I wouldn't pay any attention to it - the best last words ever🤣

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

what is the sign for "attention, tank in reverse"?

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

​@@HappyBeezerStudiosRight here 🚜➡️🚙💥🤣🤣👍

[@AllineedisKIMI]

I like, on the same way as the dietary info on groceries, how they take for granted that US drivers don't know the meaning of road signs, and they write it down lol

[@A._Meroy]

4:22 "...the American Association of State Highway Officials - or AASHO" Please note the small footnote saying "Gesundheit" 😆

[@BenjaminVestergaard]

Even though China hasn't signed the deal, most of the signs you see along the highway look like the international ones. Also the few signs like STOP that does use letters are spelled in Cyrillic letters in Cyrillic countries... but they keep the same layout and colours, so it's not that difficult to guess what they mean.

[@almost_harmless]

Loving your own country doesn't mean you can't see there are things to improve. I think you do that well. I like America (or the US to be precise), but perhaps not all of the faults, but come on; every country has its ups and downs. Let's focus on the ups.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

As an American, I see your comment as genuine 🙂

[@robwhythe793]

I remember when the UK changed to the European standard, and Dad stuck a plastic label inside our car's windscreen to remind him what the new signs meant. It corresponded with our first camping holiday on the continent, driving around Europe. The pictorial nature of all the signs makes sense given how Europeans drive across borders and through different language zones so often - which also explains why Americans don't see the need for them. But even the shapes of the signs are important: A circle always represents an instruction (such as a speed limit), while a triangle represents a warning. Now I'm living in Canada, most people think I had trouble getting used to driving on the other side of the road - but no, because I worked throughout Europe and in the US, so I'm used to it. My problem comes from simply not seeing road signs (such as speed limits and stop signs) because they don't look like road signs to me. There's more to it than just their shapes (such as the lack of road markings and the placement of the signs, or the layout of traffic lights) but simply driving on the wrong side of the road is an easy switch by comparison. It would be good if America (and Canada) were to get up to speed with the rest of the world and adopt modern ideas on road design (not just standardised, language-independent road signs but good road markings, cats eyes, roundabouts) but I don't see that happening in my lifetime. There are a few UK road signs that have fun alternative meanings, though, such as the warning triangle for road works ahead, which looks like a man having trouble opening an umbrella. Or the one for rough road ahead, which looks like a warning for strapless bikini - maybe a warning to tighten your bra straps. 😂

[@mark_p300]

The comparative lack of "road markings" in Canada, or rather the comparative lack of *reliance* on road markings, is easily explained: they would be covered half the year by snow and ice, and are scoured away too easily by grit and studded tires. Likewise with "cat's eyes" (had to look this up to realize you mean retroreflectors): they're pointless and stupid in a country where they'd be covered half the year, or ripped out by snow plows.

[@S0T1S]

​@@mark_p300not really easily explained when northern scandinavia uses theses universal signs and reflective sticks, and it works fine here, even though some places here are covered in snow 365 days a year...

[@mark_p300]

@@S0T1S What are you taking about? My comment had nothing to do with signage, it had to do with painted markings on the road surface and embedded retroreflective studs for lane markings. If you Swedes use either in places where the road is covered in snow 365 days per year, you're idiots!

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

And what would be the soul purpose for America changing the signs again? To suit visiting Europeans?

[@vanesag.9863]

@@Timbothruster-fh3cw Perhaps is to suit the rest of the world when an USA citizen visit us. 😜

[@LEESS1005]

In the UK,we now have a written theory test,where we are tested on speed stopping distances,road sign recognition and other road law etc,only after we PASS our theory are,we,allowed to take a rather hard driving test,where the average person has to do it TWICE.

[@CMOT101]

I've driven in the US. Road signs are terrible. Often too small and hard to see. And they don't give you any advance warning.

[@KathrinHausermann]

NO!! US Streets signs are way Worse. The British that developed Street signs found out soon that ALL BIG LETTERS are way worse (they are downright Stupid in my opinion) because the "Word recognition" does not kick in. which is important at high speeds.

[@alphonsbretagne8468]

3:10 that's how cars became afFORDable. You're right, man! 😁

[@oliverwestphal3082]

I am truly with you. You doubt, that the average american is able to understand the signs and I feel with you that they probably don't. 😆 That's why they say that Americans are allowed to drive and Europeans can.

[@alwynemcintyre2184]

Lots of cars produced in merica, the fed government introduced a 25% "chicken tax" on imports.

[@TheProdiga1One]

Doing the theory test must be easy in the states. Its pretty hard over here in The Netherlands.

[@ruzicas.5819]

In Croatia too. Maybe they are standardized eu tests?

[@101steel4]

They don't do one.

[@Sofasurfa]

What! Why don’t they do one? How does the driving examiner know that the driver understands the rules of the road?

[@101steel4]

@@Sofasurfa their driving test is shocking. At least in florida where my cousin lives anyway. No lessons, just drive about with mum. Then the test in a school carpark for 15 minutes and you have a licence. Fill in a form in the office afterwards and you have a full motorcycle licence too 🙄

[@Sofasurfa]

@@101steel4 good lord that a tad dangerous isn’t they obviously haven’t heard the phrase that a a car in an idiots hand like giving someone a loaded gun 🤦‍♀️

[@markleon411]

Australia does follow the signage convention for the most part. Many signs switched back in the 1980s. Such as the speed signs to match European signs for more consistency. It is easier to understand a pictogram than text and respond quicker.

[@xekon14]

If only there was a universal street sign language. Someone should invent that!

[@prouvencau6343]

Simplified : - Triangle signs mean "danger" (like warning a crossroad, warning there can be children, pets or wild animals) - Square signs are indications, something you can do - Circle signs mean you have to do something, its an obligation to do when its blue (like following an arrow in a roundabout), and its forbidden when it is red and white (like speed limit or interdiction for heavy trucks) So first you know what kind of information you are receiving then the pictogram says what it is about

[@Xenoxvvv]

You should make a channel poll about how many of your viewers are American, how many European and how many from the rest of the world.

[@jgroenveld1268]

Non native English speaker here but I just feel that the English language can get away by explaining something in words with the shortest amount of words vs a lot of other languages.

[@danielvermeer5079]

Thanks Ryan. I learned a lot today. I always assumed that all of Europe had the same road sign system. It turns out that most of the world follows that system, where each symbol can be understood by most nationalities. It dawned on me that maybe the Department purposely (or maybe lobbyists encouraged them) voted against the symbols treaty to maximize the number of American citizens (from the age of 16, before they use public transportation) to pass their driving test to maximize the number of loans being taken out to buy American-built gas-guzzling (on purpose?) cars to maximize the sales of U.S. oil companies at the gas pump. Backroom strategy meetings all in the name of maximum sales and maximum profits. Just food for thought.

[@JoannDavi]

Go on a mental diet.

[@tymondabrowski12]

Still dumb though. In Europe most kids know the signs already - they are bog, colorful, has shapes and puctures, so of course kids are curious and ask about it. And then all kids are gathered in like 5th grade and taught the signs so they can get a bike driving license which is necessary for kids to drive without supervision on roads. So learning signs is one of the easy parts of the licence getting process. Practical exam is usually way harder to pass. There are people doing it 7 times before they pass. And it's usually not because of road signs.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

We don't choose cars bc of poor public transit, we choose cars bc we like independent travel & not being dependent on systematic travel network which limits your mobility!

[@Anson_AKB]

@@Timbothruster-fh3cw i live in a big city in germany, and with public transport i am more independent and more mobile than with a car. travel times may be a tiny bit slower with buses, but are faster with Ubahn/Sbahn/Tram, and i have no need to search for parking spots for half an hour or pay for them. i also can drink a beer without problem when i don't have to drive home myself.

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

@@Anson_AKB Well, I live in a rural area, and everything is spread far apart, so driving is freedom where I'm at, would never live in the city as most Americans don't.

[@Mikael_Puusaari]

A lot of people in the comments that didn't get the sarcasm on the "need for a universal system" remark 🙂 We have one sign with a word in sweden, it is a red sign that says STOP, which means... never mind, u all can figure it out 🙂 The STOP sign has an octagon form, the only sign that has that specific form

[@EricaFiore]

Karl Benz, his daughter name was Mercedes Benz after a man named Daimler his daughter was called Mercedes. So now you know how he named his car.

[@jacquestricatel7055]

Blödsinn!!🙄

[@austinfu2102]

Funny enough, tough China is not a part of the Vienna agreement, the Chinese road signs still looks very similar to the Vienna ones. This is because the Chinese government used the European system as a model for designing developing the Chinese road traffic system. Till this day, the National emissions standard still reference the European Emissions Standards. The current standard is National 6b, and you guess it, it's similar to Euro 6

[@Sofasurfa]

British road signs got a massive overhaul back in the fifties, by couple of graphic designers there is a documentary about it and the the woman is quite well known if you’re geeky great pub quiz question, she was called Margaret Calvert and the chap was called Jock Kinnier. 😊

[@paulharvey9149]

Pictograms have a very clear advantage over words: they can be recognised by people who speak different languages, or who cannot read. If it's in a red circle, it's mandatory, if it's in a a red triangle it's advising you of danger; if it's anything else, it's advisory. Simple!

[@nigelmacbug6678]

The meatpacking industry of Chicago is believed to be one of the first industrial assembly lines to be utilized in the United States starting in 1867. mass production of weapon manufactures used similar practices sophisticated trigger mechanism for crossbows made of interchangeable parts in China in 201BC The Terracotta Army guarding the Emperor's necropolis is also believed to have been created through the use of standardized molds on an assembly simple mass production techniques were used at the Portsmouth Block Mills in England to make ships' pulley blocks for the Royal Navy in 1803 during US civil war Roughly a million of Springfield Model 1861 Rifle were produced

[@Uppsalade]

"...Ford. And apparently that's how cars became afFORDable."😅

[@heartoflinnea2131]

Not only does the US have their own road signs and are holding on to their own measurements... they're also one of like... two countries in the WORLD that uses a different system for their nautical navigation... when basically everywhere in the world has the green sticks on one side and red on the other, the states has it THE OTHER WAY AROUND! I mean... at that point it kinda feels like they're just going "no! I HAVE to be different!"

[@Timbothruster-fh3cw]

Finally you get!!! We like being different, that pretty much sums up our culture!

[@kaneworsnop1007]

I thought port and starboard lights were standardised as it's incredibly important for boats and ships to be able to tell the direction of travel of other vessels, it's even more bizarre when you think they accepted it for aircraft, but refused to follow the standard for boats....

[@PeterLipcsei]

Love your channel man, greetings from Hungary.

[@spyro257]

the first assembly line, was made in the Roman times, where they made chariots for racing, which was back in 753 BC... cars, the internet, and assembly lines, were NOT created in the US...

[@NoZoDE]

While thinking about it the only words on street signs (apart from street/city names) in Germany would be "Einbahnstraße" which is written in the arrow of a one way street

[@gtvgranberg]

One train street?

[@NoZoDE]

@@gtvgranberg The word Einbahn here would be Eine (one) and Bahn would in this context mean way/lane

[@yannickurbach5654]

There's also "STOP", "TAXI", "ZONE", "Fahrradstraße", "Umwelt [ZONE]", "Wasserschutzgebiet", "Notruf", "Polizei" "MAUT", "ZOLL", "Ausfahrt", "Umleitung", as well as many different textual supplementary signs (white rectangular signs posted under other signs).

[@Matt.98]

Before subscribing to this channel I already knew Europe was much better than the US but now I’m realizing it even more video after video 😂 is there a single thing that works better over there?😅

[@tjampman]

Healthcare profits

[@lumpltv8488]

For me one of the biggest advanteges of using pictures instead of words is that the pictures don't distract you as much as words do. In every country you learn that you should not be distracted when driving but in america it is ok if the road signs distract you during driving. Also I think it is easier for people to "read" all the signs if they are pictures, I am not sure but I think in an older video you said that sometimes you can not read all the signs, when there are a lot of them at once, because you are already past them. So I think pictures are much more practical than words.

[@N0nManfiold99]

"It would be nice to have a universal measurement system" Yeah, it's called the Metric System.

[@alchristie5112]

Not sure what the US driving test is like, but in the UK we now have 2 parts, theory and practical. The theory covers road signs and scanarios, and must be passed before taking the practical driving test. The practical also includes and understanding of the signs and using sat nav as you use the roads

[@Socrates...]

how does a circle with a number in it be the name of the road ???

[@metamaverick]

The US uses a “numbered highway system” (see wiki). Basically, many of the major roadways are given numbers as their name (this applies to interstates, routes, highways). Such as Interstate 95 that runs through the eastern coast. Odd numbered roadways tend to run north-south, and even-numbered roads east-west. There are other bits of info that can be extracted based on the number. In some cases, for smaller routes, parts of the road may be given other names that designate what town that part of the road leads into. All of this has a lot of utility for navigating, but is probably not so useful or understood by modern drivers.

[@kbittorf335]

I remember my first time driving in Canada and merging onto a highway the posted sign read “Squeeze Left.” I was told when Walmart exceeded General Motors as the largest employer in the US, this marked the point when we began consuming more than what we produce. The economy will evolve to where we are simply providing services to one another.

[@stevenjohnson4190]

ryan doesnt read or reply to messages

[@Wildcard71]

In the no parking/no stopping sign, blue stands for parking/stopping and red stands for no. Prohibition signs in general have a round shape with a red circle - and many of them have a diagonal line - also in red. The inner circle is usually white (e.g. Sweden and Finland yellow instead) and mostly have an icon in the middle that tells what is prohibited here. No overtaking shows two cars: a black one for the right lane and a red one for the wrong lane. Do not go in case of oncoming traffic has two arrows: a black one down and a red one up. The do not enter sign is entirely red except for a horizontal white (or yellow) bar in the middle. And then there is a general no driving beyond sign that only has the red circle and a blank inside.

[@archiebald4717]

The USA is always different. It is the only country that has not signed the convention on the rights of the child.

[@richardhall206]

The best thing I was taught when learning to drive in the UK is round signs look like an O for obey and triangle signs look like an A for advice.

[@malpa2345]

It’s funny that Americans need to use words on their signs and not symbols

[@plutoniumlollie9574]

If someone isn't smart enough to memorize some picturized road signs like almost the rest of the world, I would question if that person would be smart enough to operate a vehicle which could easily be turned into a killing machine.

[@EricaFiore]

I would think, black and white word signs would be difficult to read in the dark, as picture signs are easy to see in the dark.

[@hauskalainen]

red circles are RESTRICTIONS (e.g speed limits); red triangles are WARNING signs (e.g. road bends or narrows); Blue signs are YOU MUST signs (eg only drive in this direction, minimum speed on this road). After you learn this, the road signs are mostly self explanatory. Try downloading the British Publication called The Highway Code. All the signs and rules of the road you need to know to avoid getting arrested or having your car towed away are there. Rules also cover cyclists and pedestrians, so not just car drivers.

[@CaptainFirefred]

In regards to US cars ask yourself why european cars are highly regarded in the US and no one outside the US cares about american cars for daily use.

[@JenniferRussell-qw2co]

The fact that you said that you don't even notice the signs says it all!! 😂 Oh dear! 🙋‍♀️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🙄🤪

[@helenwood8482]

We did have a standard system for measurement, but it confused the French.

[@bjornh4664]

There wasn't a standard system; it varied even within the countries, with one principality having a different system than that free city. Even in France, there were several systems when they decided to standardize and use - gasp! - science-based measurements insted of the shoe size of a king.

[@daveofyorkshire301]

Ford didn't invent the assembly line, the textile industry did, and textiles created the first programmable computer and punched cards too.. Henry Ford simply took cars from one place and assembly lines from another and put them together...