One of the most iconic British road signs known to drivers everywhere has been updated, following the degradation of the image over the past 50 years.
The image, designed by Margaret Calvert, shows two schoolchildren crossing the street while holding hands.
The sign is a warning for drivers to look out for schoolchildren either using or crossing the road ahead of them, though the design of the image itself has degraded since it was first introduced in the early 1960s.
The problem arose from the pictogram being copied manually between drawn and computerised images several times, and the new image sharpens up the girl’s haircut and the definition of the two children.
Ms Calvert said that of all the signs she and Jock Kinneir created for Britain’s road system, this was one of her favourites.
“This was one of my favourite signs, being based upon myself as a child. But I always shuddered to see recent examples on street, displaying such a travesty of my carefully crafted original.
“I was therefore delighted to work again on my design from 1962, and found that there were some subtle improvements I could make,” she said.
Ms Calvert and Mr Kinneir’s signs came in to effect in in Britain in 1965. Last year the 50th anniversary was marked with an exhibition in London’s Design Museum.
