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The
list of traffic signs remains under construction.
We will add in the course of time more signs.  Stop Stop signs are considered by many drivers as recommendations only. The arabic letters remind on a snail with a house looking backwards - something to remember in case you see the writing in other locations and circumstances...  Give way Sometimes it is given, sometimes not, it depends in principle on the speed of the approaching vehicles.  Forbidden to enter Not to be confused with a "one way street". It means that you are not allowed to enter the street here, but it does not say what you can do or not when you are in the street already. You have, therefore, to expect cars, lorries and motorbikes in this street going in both directions.  No turning (here: left). Is misunderstood by many drivers, because they will turn anyway.  Speed Limit (here: 50 km/h - no, it is NOT miles!) Without signs, the speed limit is 60km/h in towns, on country roads it is 90km/h and 110 km/h on the highways. In Tunisia, you will often see speeding controls, which are taken by hand (radar pistol), as well as by mobile or immobile flash, often hidden behind shrubs, alleged broken down cars, etc. Please note that this limit applies per car, not per person in a car!  Roundabout with destinations Roundabouts are in Tunisia much more frequent than traffic lights. With the exception of Greater Tunis, you actually hardly find traffic lights at all.  Roundabout Without any additional sign, the driver who is IN the roundabout has the right of passage, when you enter a roundabout, you have to give way. Although it is not allowed to stop in a Roundabout, you can see stopping or parking vehicles. Pedestrians like to cross the road at Roundabouts.. Changing driving lanes (cutting in) are very frequent in Roundabouts, mostly without indications. Rounsabouts are the preferred and most frequented places for police controls.  Prohibition of transport of dangerous goods Unfortunately, I am not fully informed about what is considered in Tunisia a "dangerous good". Whether it is a transporter for gasoline or chemicals, a lorry which transports gas bottles, a pickup truck with multiple people standing on it, sometimes also cows or sheep, or a pickup truck on which fruits and vegetables are stapled up to impressive heights...  Street bump "Camel back" Everywhere on the streets in Tunisia you can find these artifical bumps which were built to slow down the traffic. In my theory, the architect of these bump once drove into the desert and got the idea when watching the camels. Therefore, I refer to these bumps as Camel Backs.  Every driver in Tunisia knows them, every driver has seen them too late and had his head hit the car roof. Many cars pass these bumps with pedestrian speed (probably because when they were driving faster the car will immediately disassemble), therefore, you have to take special caution, since it is very likely that cars in front of you will suddenly and vigorously brake!  Prohibition for lorries I don't know how exactly a lorry is defined in Tunisia, but I assume that the definition is dependent just on the maximum load, and not on the actual load of a car. Therefore, you can expect in this road all sorts of cars that we would consider to be "lorries" in Europe.  Parking for Busses ... and other cars.  Pedestrian crossing Don't get fooled by the wirting "absolute right of passage for pedestrians". Crossing the street in this place is neither more nor less dangerous than at any other place; never trust the "right of passage"...  Hospital Here is a Hospital!  Parking lot In places with this sign, you usually cannot find any free spot anymore - as well as in places with the following sign:  Absolutely no waiting or parking! Has the same meaning as the red/white stripes on street borders. Sometimes you can see the police towing away cars which are parking here, but they usually cannot clear a spot as fast as it will become occupied again.  Road to Nowhere Not only in the desert, but also in big cities, like Sousse, you can find such signs. Whether it is a destination that was terminated, whether the sign painter simply forgot to add the destination or whether there is a completely different reason for an empty sign - we will never know... |