Tag: signs

Q: As an eyesight-challenged person, my license requires that I wear corrective lenses. I have either my prescription glasses or sunglasses at all times. Recently I was driving on one of the few gorgeous sunny March days, and I came through a tunnel. A sign read “No Sunglasses”. It seemed like the lesser of three evils to wear the sunglasses. I could A) keep wearing my sunglasses, B) search for my glasses which would distract me from driving or C) take them off and not be able to see at all. My question is did I do what is right/legal?

A: Your question is actually two questions in one: “Is it right?” and “Is it legal?” The legal one is the easiest to answer, so let’s start there. Continue reading “Tunnels and Sunglasses”

Q: Why are some roads marked “Dead End” and some marked “No Outlet?” Is there a difference?

A: One theory is that wealthy neighborhoods petitioned to eliminate “Dead End” signs from their streets because it reflected poorly on the status of their residents. But that’s completely untrue. There’s a manual that traffic engineers use when determining appropriate sign usage. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) specifies that the “Dead End” sign may be used at the entrance of a single road that terminates or ends in a cul-de-sac, while the “No Outlet” sign may be used at the entrance to a road network from which there is no other exit. The sign choice comes down to whether it’s just one road or more than one road with no other way out.