DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

17 October 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Election 2025
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Election 2025
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Too many road signs are “creating unsafe situations”

June 7, 2023
Photo: Brandon Hartley

A call to local councils by traffic safety organisation Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) to rid the country of superfluous road signs is not being picked up, creating confusion and dangerous situations instead of guidance, the organisation has said.

The VVN says 20% of the country’s three million official road signs can go. Instead of using uniform signs and road markings, local councils invent their own, a spokesman for the VVN told the Telegraaf.

“Incomprehensible road signs, dozens of different road markings and coloured zebra crossing are making it difficult for road users to immediately know what they are expected to do. If you have to think about it, chances are you will make a mistake,” he said.

Another reason to promote uniformity is that according to European guidelines, self-driving cars should be able to recognise road signs by 2025.

“Only legally approved road signs will be read by the cars. That means all well-meaning and invented warnings with Miffy drawings will not be seen and the car will not adjust its behaviour as a result,” director Jaques Goddijn, of sign makers HR Groep Streetcare told the paper.

Some local councils, such as Den Bosch, have made a start removing superfluous signs. It is adapting some 27,000 road signs so the Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA), which has been a mandatory feature of all new cars since 2022, can read them, while at the same time removing hundreds of “superfluous and fantasy signs”, traffic specialist Alwin Quirijns said.

“We are hoping to create a calmer and safer traffic environment for users,” he said.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Society
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Three teenagers investigated for suspected spying for Russia
Election watch: D66 on the rise, Yesilgöz says no
Amsterdam's PvdA branch wants to ban tourists from coffeeshops
The magic of Egypt: mummies take centre stage in Leiden
Saturday will be sunny, but the grey skies will return next week
NewsHomeEconomyElection 2025Art and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you with up-to-date news about this month's Dutch general election.

Our thanks to everyone who donates regularly to Dutch News. It costs money to produce our daily news service, our original features and daily newsletters, and we could not do it without you.

If you have not yet made a donation, or did so a while ago, you can do so via these links

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now