Motorway signs

Reassurance / distance signs

Australia - Mexico | Netherlands - Vietnam

The Netherlands
Location: Numansdorp, A29 (Rotterdam - Bergen op Zoom)
This is the pull-through sign if the exit sign is not overhead. It does show distances and the directions ahead, though. Mostly, the sign features the terminus of the road and a regional focal point. If those are the same however (as is the case here), you'll only see one destination on the distance signs. There are no reassurance shields as such after the exit in The Netherlands. The kilometer posts will show you the road number though, so you can verify quickly.

New Zealand
Location: SH18 (Western Auckland Ring Road)
The road number and the direction you are travelling in, as well as a few forward destinations. The first two of those are the names of the next two exits, the third one is the control city.
Photo: Ben / Auckland Motorways

Norway
Location: Slettmark, E6 (Oslo - Göteborg)
Major forward destinations and, under a separator, the distance to the next exit - which is identified by its number only. Norwegian routes that bear an E-number are only designated by that European number without any Norwegian road number next to it. This motorway is a fine example. The problem is, however, that this motorway turns into a 1+1 road later on without the number telling you of its different nature. That's the problem with E-numbers, really.
Photo: Ingenioren

Peru
Location: Ruta 30 (Arequipa - Juliaca)
Just a couple of forward destinations and the distance in kilometers. No road number.

Poland
Location: Jadwisin, A4 (Dresden - Wroclaw - Kraków)
National road number and European road number. Wroclaw is the control city, but this distance sign goes beyond that. Korczowa is the (future) eastern terminus of the A4, a tiny village on the Ukraine border. Poland has a habit of signposting those very small road termini from hundreds of kilometers of a distance.
Photo: Ceske Dalnice

Portugal
Location: Castro Daire, A 24 (Viseu - Verin)
Couple of major destinations along the road. On this sign, the European road number is stated and the national road number is suddenly framed. The alignment of the road numbers is, well ... erm ... interesting.
Photo: Seppl

Slovakia
Location: D1 (Bratislava - Košice)
National road number and European road numbers. This sign is placed just before the city of Bratislava, where a lot of roads intersect. In this area, you can choose between three nations bordering Slovakia and the ovals on the sign indicate in which country the forward destinations are situated, if not in Slovakia itself.
Photo: RipleyLV

Slovenia
Location: Kranj, A 2 (Klagenfurt - Ljubljana)
Slovenian national road number (very much looking like its Croatian counterpart), European road number and a number of destinations.
Photo: Rien / Belgian Roads

South Africa
Location: N 12 (Johannesburg - Ermelo)
Most South African reassurance signs give you the control city and a second town ahead. The road number is featured as well.

Swaziland
Location: MR 3 (Mbabane - Manzani)
Road number and some two destinations ahead. Matsapha is the name of the airport. I have to say I don't see the rationale behind first putting the name of the airport, then the distance and then the airport sign. Odd ...

Spain
Location: El Vendrell, AP-7 (Perpignan - Valencia)
Major cities and the distance thereto. No road numbers and no reference to the nearest exit.
Photo: Chris / Dutch Roadgeek Blog

Sweden
Location: E6 (Malmö - Oslo)
European road numbers only, since roads in Sweden with a European road number do not get a domestic Swedish road number. For the rest, fairly straightforward distance sign, just showing the distances to a number of major destinations.
Photo: Chris / Dutch Roadgeek Blog

Switzerland
Location: Lugano Sud, A2 (Basel - Chiasso)
Swiss reassurance shields feature up to five destinations, but main cities only (or sometimes a mountain pass and, in this case, the Italian border). You will not see the distance to the next exit. The national and European road numbers are also there.

Taiwan
Location: National Highway 1 (Keelung - Kaohsiung)
Major destinations in two character sets. No specification of the road you are on.
Photo: Darren Hodges / Signspotters

Thailand
Location: Bang Khae, Route 9 (Bangkok ring road)
On the Bangkok ring road, the first few major intersections are being signposted. On rural expressways, you'd rather get the first few bigger towns. The route number ahead (Thai national route number and Asian Highway where applicable) are signposted on a separate trailblazer.

Tunesia
Location: Bouficha, A1 (Tunis - Sfax)
Next exit against a white background and control city on a blue background. Route number comes on top.
Photo: Igorlan

United Kingdom
Location: M40 (London - Birmingham).
Road number and a few major destinations. No forward destinations on intersecting roads and, more generally, UK reassurance signs are never too generous on towns in the middle to long distance. You should already be grateful that a town like Birmingham at 96 miles is on the signs. What the UK is good at, is to include a more generic regional destination on the sign like "THE NORTH". Without a distance of course. The idea is so good that no other nation ever thought of it ...
Photo: Jonas Sauciunas

United States of America
Location: I 280 (San Francisco - San Jose)
A number of major destinations ahead. No road number. Unlike most European countries, United States distance signs are not placed after every exit as a means of reassurance, but at regular intervals, regardless of an exit being close. Reassurance also comes from trailblazers being placed every now and then, indicating the route you're on.
Photo: Marcel Monterie

Vietnam
Location: QL1 (Chinese border - Hanoi)
This is the sole form of reassurance you'll get along a Vietnamese road, the kilometer marker. It shows one major town along the route, which might be the first one or one on the other side of the country (typically Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City in that case). This town may differ every kilometer. Apart from that town, the distance to that town and the kilometer mark itself, the road number is painted on the top. Hardly readible when traveling at motorway speeds, but very readible when standing still or going by bike. As is quite common on the Vietnamese motorway, where motorway is a misdenomer.

Motorway signs
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	The Netherlands Location: Numansdorp, A29 (Rotterdam - Bergen op Zoom) This is the pull-through sign if the exit sign is not overhead. It does show distances and the directions ahead, though. Mostly, the sign features the terminus of the road and a regional focal point. If those are the same however (as is the case here), you'll only see one destination on the distance signs. There are no reassurance shields as such after the exit in The Netherlands. The kilometer posts will show you the road number though, so you can verify quickly.
New Zealand Location: SH18 (Western Auckland Ring Road) The road number and the direction you are travelling in, as well as a few forward destinations. The first two of those are the names of the next two exits, the third one is the control city. Photo: Ben / Auckland Motorways
	Norway Location: Slettmark, E6 (Oslo - Göteborg) Major forward destinations and, under a separator, the distance to the next exit - which is identified by its number only. Norwegian routes that bear an E-number are only designated by that European number without any Norwegian road number next to it. This motorway is a fine example. The problem is, however, that this motorway turns into a 1+1 road later on without the number telling you of its different nature. That's the problem with E-numbers, really. Photo: Ingenioren
Peru Location: Ruta 30 (Arequipa - Juliaca) Just a couple of forward destinations and the distance in kilometers. No road number.
	Poland Location: Jadwisin, A4 (Dresden - Wroclaw - Kraków) National road number and European road number. Wroclaw is the control city, but this distance sign goes beyond that. Korczowa is the (future) eastern terminus of the A4, a tiny village on the Ukraine border. Poland has a habit of signposting those very small road termini from hundreds of kilometers of a distance. Photo: Ceske Dalnice
Portugal Location: Castro Daire, A 24 (Viseu - Verin) Couple of major destinations along the road. On this sign, the European road number is stated and the national road number is suddenly framed. The alignment of the road numbers is, well ... erm ... interesting. Photo: Seppl
	Slovakia Location: D1 (Bratislava - Košice) National road number and European road numbers. This sign is placed just before the city of Bratislava, where a lot of roads intersect. In this area, you can choose between three nations bordering Slovakia and the ovals on the sign indicate in which country the forward destinations are situated, if not in Slovakia itself. Photo: RipleyLV
Slovenia Location: Kranj, A 2 (Klagenfurt - Ljubljana) Slovenian national road number (very much looking like its Croatian counterpart), European road number and a number of destinations. Photo: Rien / Belgian Roads
	South Africa Location: N 12 (Johannesburg - Ermelo) Most South African reassurance signs give you the control city and a second town ahead. The road number is featured as well.
Swaziland Location: MR 3 (Mbabane - Manzani) Road number and some two destinations ahead. Matsapha is the name of the airport. I have to say I don't see the rationale behind first putting the name of the airport, then the distance and then the airport sign. Odd ...
	Spain Location: El Vendrell, AP-7 (Perpignan - Valencia) Major cities and the distance thereto. No road numbers and no reference to the nearest exit. Photo: Chris / Dutch Roadgeek Blog
Sweden Location: E6 (Malmö - Oslo) European road numbers only, since roads in Sweden with a European road number do not get a domestic Swedish road number. For the rest, fairly straightforward distance sign, just showing the distances to a number of major destinations. Photo: Chris / Dutch Roadgeek Blog
	Switzerland Location: Lugano Sud, A2 (Basel - Chiasso) Swiss reassurance shields feature up to five destinations, but main cities only (or sometimes a mountain pass and, in this case, the Italian border). You will not see the distance to the next exit. The national and European road numbers are also there.
Taiwan Location: National Highway 1 (Keelung - Kaohsiung) Major destinations in two character sets. No specification of the road you are on. Photo: Darren Hodges / Signspotters
	Thailand Location: Bang Khae, Route 9 (Bangkok ring road) On the Bangkok ring road, the first few major intersections are being signposted. On rural expressways, you'd rather get the first few bigger towns. The route number ahead (Thai national route number and Asian Highway where applicable) are signposted on a separate trailblazer.
Tunesia Location: Bouficha, A1 (Tunis - Sfax) Next exit against a white background and control city on a blue background. Route number comes on top. Photo: Igorlan
	United Kingdom Location: M40 (London - Birmingham). Road number and a few major destinations. No forward destinations on intersecting roads and, more generally, UK reassurance signs are never too generous on towns in the middle to long distance. You should already be grateful that a town like Birmingham at 96 miles is on the signs. What the UK is good at, is to include a more generic regional destination on the sign like "THE NORTH". Without a distance of course. The idea is so good that no other nation ever thought of it ... Photo: Jonas Sauciunas
United States of America Location: I 280 (San Francisco - San Jose) A number of major destinations ahead. No road number. Unlike most European countries, United States distance signs are not placed after every exit as a means of reassurance, but at regular intervals, regardless of an exit being close. Reassurance also comes from trailblazers being placed every now and then, indicating the route you're on. Photo: Marcel Monterie
	Vietnam Location: QL1 (Chinese border - Hanoi) This is the sole form of reassurance you'll get along a Vietnamese road, the kilometer marker. It shows one major town along the route, which might be the first one or one on the other side of the country (typically Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City in that case). This town may differ every kilometer. Apart from that town, the distance to that town and the kilometer mark itself, the road number is painted on the top. Hardly readible when traveling at motorway speeds, but very readible when standing still or going by bike. As is quite common on the Vietnamese motorway, where motorway is a misdenomer.