In a Private Member’s Statement to the NSW Parliament on November 8, Member for Epping and Shadow Minister for Police Andrew Tink urged all councils to adopt a new kind of street name sign that can make a significant contribution to road safety. Parliamentary Secretary Kevin Moss said he fully supported Mr Tink’s proposal and agreed that all local government areas, particularly those in metropolitan Sydney, should take up the suggestion.

Lifesaver signs are characterised by property numbers in large fonts on every sign, using a new, concise numbering scheme called wedge notation.

Instead of showing the range of numbers within a block, wedge notation shows the first on both sides of the street, plus a wedge or incline symbol to show the direction the numbers run. Parentheses indicate the number on the side opposite the sign. Only these three elements (two numbers and a wedge) appear, because drivers do not have time to decipher more.

In both signs above, numbers increase to the right and decrease to the left. Reading Lifesaver 1, a driver wanting number 7 would go right; one wanting number 4 would go left. Reading Lifesaver II, number 60 is to the left, number 64 is right, 33 is left, 37 is right. On the reverse side of the signs, the wedge is flipped horizontally 180 degrees.)

The numbers are 40 to 100 per cent larger than usual, allowing them to be easily read across intersections and in fast-moving traffic. This readability, plus the conciseness of wedge notation, enables drivers to make safe, confident decisions quickly, which they cannot do using present signage.

These signs are called Lifesavers because they can

The signs are a core element in a six-point Lifesaver Plan promoted by Streetsigns Australia and successfully trialled in Epping in 1998-99. Ten senior officials in the emergency services have asked for the Plan to be implemented everywhere. Which council will be first?

Details are available on the Internet at www.streetsigns.com.au, or through the contact facilities for Streetsigns Australia at the top of this page.

"Councils - please put up your missing signs, and make them Lifesaver signs."

Page created 15 November,  2001.  Last updated 19 August, 2003 04:39:31 +1000 

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Last modified: January 16, 2002