Nederlands

Children's crossing in the U.S.A.
New York, 1997 Washington D.C., VII.2001;
pict. S. Visser		 Washington D.C., VII.2001;
pict. S. Visser
 
The first sign warns for a crossing ahead. The actual crossing is shown with a second panel with people between the lines. Ask any politician and he will tell you that this exactly is where people belong.   The walking family sign is a rarity. It is in fact the only 'mom dad offspring' sign ever reported by a team member.

Learn everything about road signs in the U.S. at the site of R.C. Moeur: Manual of Traffic Signs.
 
Washington D.C., VII.2001;
pict. S. Visser		 Yosemite N.P., 25.X.1998;
pict. J. Cornellier
Both signs together are clearly supporting our point about how iconization doesn't do anything good for safety on the road (The case is further explained in Armenia. Read also a discussion where we are trying to find out the reason behind this trend.)

Both examples lack the most important feature in roadsigns: clarity. You can read the old-fashioned sign in several different ways; it's not clear without thinking which is the correct interpretation. It's only after some precious time that the most probable meaning comes to the mind. It's not slow children who are playing; it's not children that are slowly playing; no it's you. You must go slow because children might be playing. But, at least, the warning has a nice drawing.
Which we cannot say about the modern warning. It's such a bad drawing that a caption is needed to make clear that the warning is about children; retarded children.
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More roadsigns from the U.S.A.: Men at work / Falling rocks
Road signs from Alaska: Men at work / Children's crossing