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Traffic Sign Typefaces
Typefaces used on traffic signs vary by location, with some typefaces being designed specifically for the purpose of being used on traffic signs and based on attributes that aid viewing from a distance. A typeface chosen for a traffic sign is selected based on its readability, which is essential for conveying information to drivers quickly and accurately at high speeds and long distances.

Factors such as clear letterforms, lines of copy, appropriate spacing, and simplicity contribute to readability. Increased X-height and counters specifically help with letter distinction and reduced halation, which especially affects aging drivers. In cases of halation, certain letters can blur and look like others, such as a lowercase “e” appearing as an “a,” “c,” or “o.”

Dispute Of Standard Typefaces For North American Traffic Signs

In 1997, a design team at T.D. Larson Transportation Institute began testing Clearview, a typeface designed to improve readability and halation issues with the FHWA Standard Alphabet, also known as Highway Gothic, which is the standard typeface for highway signs in the U.S.

The adoption of Clearview for traffic signs over Highway Gothic has been slow since its initial proposal. Country-wide adoption faced resistance from both local governments and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), citing concerns about consistency and cost, along with doubts of the studies done on Clearview’s improved readability. As stated by the FHWA, “This process (of designing Clearview) did not result in a necessarily better set of letter styles for highway signing, but rather a different set of letter styles with increased letter height and different letter spacing that was not comparable to the Standard Alphabets.”

The FHWA allowed use of Clearview to be approved on an interim basis as opposed to national change, where local governments could decide to submit a request to the FHWA for approval to update their signs with Clearview, but in 2016 they rescinded this approval, wanting to limit confusion and inconsistency that could come from a mix of two typefaces being used. In 2018, they again allowed interim approval of Clearview, with Highway Gothic remaining the standard.