Communications and transit > Conférence européenne sur la circulation routière (Genève, 16 au 30 mars 1931)

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“ It recommends that the Communications and Transit Organisation, when reporting
to the Council of the League of Nations on the results of proceedings of the Conference,
should lay emphasis on the expediency of reserving to a future Conference the task
of providing the international solutions to be adopted after the additional investigations
which have been found to be indispensable have been carried out by that Organisation;
“ It also recommends that pending the conclusion of an international Convention,
separate agreements should be made between States, and that, in drawing up such
agreements, the utmost possible regard should be paid, in matters connected with
the Customs treatment and taxation of commercial vehicles, to the drafts prepared
by the Sub-Comnrttees of the Conference with reference to vehicles engaged in the
international transport of passengers and their baggage (Articles 4 and 7 of the Draft
Convention). ”
Further, the Conference formulated the following recommendations:
“ I. With a view to ensuring as uniform an application as possible of the provisions
of paragraph 2 of Article 3 of the Convention concerning the Unification of Road Signals,
providing for the adoption of additional signs coming within the general scheme of the
system adopted, the Conference recommends that, in all cases where this appears possible,
Governments should, before introducing any such additional sign, ask the opinion of the
Permanent Committee on Road Traffic.”
"II. The Conference,
" Considering that the problem of light signals is very complicated since it covers both
the regulation of traffic at cross-roads by means of automatic or controlled lights with
regular or periodical operation and with or without the intervention of police officials; and
also the lighting of refuges, the indication of one-way streets, warnings and information etc.;
" Considering in particular that, when it is desired to regulate traffic at cross-roads
with the help of coloured light signs, use can be made of one colour (red or green), two colours
(red and green) or three colours, (red, green and yellow); but that it is desirable not to use
others for fear of confusion;
“ Considering that, on the above hypotheses, and as a general rule, prohibition of passage
should be indicated by the colour red; that if a colour is used to indicate freedom of passage
this should be green and that yellow should be utilised as an auxiliary colour;
“ Considering that, by combining these colours in various ways, with or without the
extinction of all lights, or by utilising, in addition, if occasion arises, indications given by
means of sound signals, different systems can be evolved, the effectiveness of which from
the point of view of facilitating and making safe the passage of vehicles and pedestrians
has been tested in several countries, but that the results of these tests are not yet sufficient
to justify preference being given to any one system:
“ Recommends that the Permanent Committee on Road Traffic should, in the light
of the experiments now being made, conduct a thorough enquiry into the problem of light
signals with a view to determining what exactly are the respective qualities of the different
systems and, if necessary, the factors to be borne in mind in making a choice among them,
it being understood that, if the adoption of a single system should not appear to be compatible
with the circumstances attending each particular case, the systems of signals to be recommended
for the different cases should never be mutually contradictory.”
“ III. The Conference,
“ After examining the present situation in regard to the signals made in different
countries by officials directing traffic and the signals to be made by drivers of vehicles, and
after considering the needs which, in this connection, are seen to be more urgent every day;
“ Noting the difficulties that may arise and the accidents that may occur through
uncertainty due to the lack of an internationally recognised systematic regulation of the
different signals:
“ Recommends:
" (1) That a system of codification should, as soon as possible, be internationally
established with regard to such signals including signals made by means of mechanical
appliances;
" (2) That the Permanent Committee of the League of Nations on Road Traffic
should endeavour to achieve this result—in particular, by studying the systems at
present in use and by adopting as a basis for this study the signals illustrated in Table V
of document C.23.M.17.1929.VIII., C.C.T.331.”
“ IV. The Conference considers it highly desirable that, in all countries, Governments
should take steps to see that children and young persons are sufficiently instructed as to
the dangers of the road and the means of guarding against such dangers, this instruction
to include, in particular, information concerning the regulation road traffic signs and
signals.”
“ V. The Conference recommends that the High Contracting Parties should endeavour,
either by means of domestic legislation or by agreements among themselves, to further
and extend as widely as possible the system of fiscal exemption laid down in the present
Convention, and to render more perfect the methods of applying that system.”