Road-side signs that leave drivers scratching their heads

Billions of dollars are spent globally on road signs to safely lead drivers from A to B, and with minimal stress. Most of the time road signs make sense. Other times, not so much. As a tribute to those confusing signs on roads in Canada and around the world, we’ve collected a sample of the most entertaining road-side instructions.

Ice skater Crossing

Stereotypically Canadian? There are Ice Skater Crossing signs near the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. But who crosses a street in ice skates? Must be a Tim Hortons on the other side of the road.

Zzyzx Road

Apparently California ran out of vowels when they got to Zzyzx Road, which leads to the town of Zzyzx, which used to be home to the Zzyzx health spa and Zzyzx mineral springs.

Dead end at graveyard

Though the road ends at the cemetery, there’s some unintentional irony here as this cemetery is definitely is a dead end of another sort. Maybe the caretakers should think about the placement of the sign if they’d like more visitors to take a trip down this dead-end road.

Please brake for snakes

We don’t see many large reptiles slithering across streets in most parts of Canada, but that doesn’t they shouldn’t be protected with polite warning signs. After all, snakes are one of the most feared creatures in the world, so you might be tempted to make a run at them when you’re behind the wheel. Though “Please Brake for Snakes” is not a likely a bumper sticker you’ll find on Snakes on a Plane actor Samuel L. Jackson’s car.

Weed: Next 3 exits

California officially gets our vote for coolest city names. First was Zzyzx, and now Weed. The 3,000 residents in the town must surely be tired of the constant jokes, and stolen signs likely now adorning numerous college dorm rooms.

Kangaroos can travel at 40 km/h

Canadians are all-too familiar with the ubiquitous yellow warning signs for deer or moose. But what about Australians? Sure enough, the trusty kangaroo makes its appearance just as frequently Down Under. But the big question: Can they read road signs to know they’re only supposed to hop at 40 clicks an hour?

Arbutus Road x2

“They must have liked the name Arbutus to use it twice,” says Lawrence Chernin, who spotted this double-vision in Vancouver. I wonder if that’s where Jacob Two-Two lives?

Hula Hoop Crossing

Janet Spencer of Helena, MT, says, “This was probably some very creative vandalism, taken near Yellowstone National Park in Montana.” Imagine all the poor hula-hoopers injured every year without those signs in place.

Left or right?

When road crews erect road signs, do you think they go back and drive the route to follow the new directions? Just sayin’ … You’d better hope it’s not a foggy night when you’re travelling this road!

Penguin Crossing

Sounding far too cute for its own good, this Penguin Crossing in Oamaru, New Zealand, helps keep those black-and-white beasties from becoming road kill. No Happy Feet sightings here.