Variable-message light-emitting diode (LED) electronic highway signs in Ontario are beginning to display colourful images and symbols, with less accompanying text, to convey real-time updates and other information more efficiently.
So far, 21 new overhead signs have been installed across the southern part of the province and seven in the northeast. Manufactured by Ledstar in Vaughan, Ont., they are reportedly the first bilingual image-based signs developed and implemented across any province in Canada.
“These state-of-the-art signs with images will help all drivers easily understand road conditions and safety messages,” says Steven Del Duca, Ontario’s minister of transportation.
The new symbols and messages, based on both international best practices and regional research, are the latest phase in a project that began several years ago. Over time, as drivers become familiar with the changes, the provincial government plans to simplify the messages further, with little or no text.
