The world’s weirdest road signs

We’ve all seen them, those road signs that puzzle and bemuse.

In Australia, tourists often marvel at our bouncing kangaroo signs. Or how about the Koala overhead sign, where Australia’s favourite cuddly-looking bear looks like it’s ben possessed by the forces of darkness?

But, Australia is not alone in gifting the motoring world signs that are sometimes bewildering, and other times amusing.

Here then, enjoy some of the strangest road signs from around the world.

Deaf Cat Crossing

A town in the Netherlands has not only embraced its resident hearing-impaired feline, it’s also made sure the moggy remains as safe as possible. A sign adjacent to the spot on the road the cat likes to use as a crossing, alerts motorists to the presence of the town’s favourite deaf moggy.

Secret Nuclear Bunker

While it seems incongruous at first glance to signal to motorists the location of a top secret nuclear facility, the reality is the Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker in Essex in the south of England was decommissioned in 1992. The bunker was built in the 1950, at the start of the Cold War and served time, right up until its decommission in 1992, as an emergency regional government defence site. In the event of a nuclear war, the seat of government would relocated from Westminster to the “secret bunker”. It is now one of the region’s main tourist attractions, giving rise to the oxymoronic street signs.

Invisible Cows

They didn’t do fences in Hawaii on the Mauna Kea Access Road, not until the year 2000 anyway. And that meant, the island’s livestock was free to roam from pastures to roadways and beyond. A problem arose, however, when those same cows, desperate to soak up the last heat of the day, would lie on the still warm road surface at night, in the process causing quite a few accidents.

To raise awareness of the relaxing cows, the local government installed road signs alerting unsuspecting motorists to the presence of the “invisible cows” before, finally, in the year 2000 fencing off the cow pastures. The signs, though, have remained in place, raising more questions than they answer.

Watch out for drunk people

When the small border town of Pecica in Romania saw a spike in traffic accidents involving cars and drunk pedestrians, the mayor ordered the town to install road signs alerting motorist to the presence of the inebriates. The sign depicts a person on their hands, holding a bottle with the words ‘Attention – Drunks’.

“We are a border town and have lots of cars thundering through here all the time," said Mayor Petru Anta. “But we also have a very vibrant nightlife and the two don't mix. We have to target the drivers because by the time they get to this state the pedestrians are beyond caring.”

Sex workers active

We’re not sure if this is advertising or a warning sign, but in the small town of Treviso in Italy signs alert motorists that the area they are about to enter is known for its sex workers.

With a pictogram depicting a woman wearing a short skirt and carrying a handbag and emblazoned with the words ‘attenzione prostitute’, some locals of Treviso were left scratching their heads as to the purpose of the sign.

As one resident said: “I just couldn't work out what it was for? Does it mean I have to look out for prostitutes crossing or that they are available around here?”

What are some of the funniest or weirdest road signs you have encountered in your travels. Let us know in the comments below.

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