EN 12966-1:2005/prA1
(Amendment)Road vertical signs - Variable message traffic signs - Part 1: Product standard
Road vertical signs - Variable message traffic signs - Part 1: Product standard
This document specifies requirements and test methods for new Variable Message Signs (VMS).
VMS comprise two types, continuous and discontinuous signs:
- continuous signs are those that are similar to fixed signs, the only difference being that by some
electro-mechanical means they can show various messages.
NOTE 1 For example rotating prism signs, roller blinds.
- discontinuous signs create messages using individual elements that can be in one of two states (or more)
and can thereby create various messages on the same sign face.
NOTE 2 For example fibre optic signs, LED signs.
This document covers the performance requirements for Variable Message Signs used for the instruction and
guidance of road users on public and private land, including tunnels. In this document a number of different
performance requirements (visual performance, EMC, environmental performance, etc) are covered, as well
as durability.
The EMC, safety and environmental requirements for both types of VMS are included in this document
together with the visual performance for the discontinuous types VMS.
The visual performance for continuous signs and discontinuous signs which are externally illuminated is
covered by EN 12899-1.
This document defines performance limits and a range of performance classes for both sign assemblies
without vertical support and assemblies complete with vertical support.
Not covered by this document are:
a) sign gantries, cantilevers and foundations;
b) portable and temporary VMS;
c) signal heads;
d) sizes and shapes of VMS messages;
e) control units and monitoring units unless inside the test module.
Vertikale Verkehrszeichen - Wechselverkehrszeichen - Teil 1 : Produktnorm
Signaux de signalisation routière verticale - Panneaux à messages variables - Partie 1: Norme produit
Pokončni cestni znaki - Prometni znaki s spremenljivim sporočilom - 1. del: Standard za proizvod
General Information
- Status
- Not Published
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 226 - Road equipment
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 226/WG 3 - Vertical signs
- Current Stage
- 3098 - Decision to reject - Consensus building
- Start Date
- 21-Sep-2007
- Completion Date
- 21-Sep-2007
- Directive
- 89/106/EEC - Construction products
Relations
- Effective Date
- 18-Jan-2023
- Amends
EN 12966-1:2005 - Road vertical signs - Variable message traffic signs - Part 1: Product standard - Effective Date
- 22-Dec-2008
Overview
EN 12966-1:2005/prA1 - Road vertical signs: Variable Message Traffic Signs (VMS) - Part 1: Product standard (CEN) specifies performance requirements and test methods for new Variable Message Signs. The standard covers both continuous VMS (electro‑mechanical elements such as rotating prisms or roller blinds) and discontinuous VMS (matrix-based elements such as LED or fibre‑optic signs). It defines visual, electromagnetic (EMC), environmental and mechanical performance criteria, durability requirements and a system of performance classes for sign assemblies (with and without vertical supports).
Key topics and technical requirements
- VMS types: continuous (mechanically changing displays) and discontinuous (element-based, multi‑state matrices).
- Visual performance: luminance, luminance ratio, beam width, uniformity and colour for discontinuous and externally illuminated signs. Visual tests use a solar simulator and defined test modules and measurement zones.
- Beam width classes (B1–B7): Seven classes guide lateral/vertical coverage and legibility distance - larger beam widths reduce required luminance; B7 covers ~24× the area of B1.
- Environmental & mechanical tests: vibration (broadband random), impact resistance, temperature, humidity and durability tests for long‑term performance.
- Protection and enclosure: IP level (degrees of protection) and pollution classes define sealing and ingress resistance for test modules.
- Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and safety: EMC and electrical safety requirements for both continuous and discontinuous VMS.
- Product classification & performance classes: Defined classes and limits for visual and physical parameters to support procurement and compliance.
- Exclusions / scope notes: The standard does not cover sign gantries/cantilevers/foundations, signal heads, control/monitoring units outside the test module, or luminance control with respect to ambient light. Annex ZA links to CE marking and Construction Products Directive requirements.
Applications
- Procurement specifications and type-approval of roadside and tunnel VMS (static installations on public and private land).
- Design guidance for manufacturers of LED matrix signs, fibre‑optic signs, rotating prism and roller‑blind displays.
- Test laboratories performing optical, mechanical and environmental type testing.
- Road authorities and highway engineers selecting beam width and luminance classes to match speed, mounting height and lane layout.
Who should use this standard
- VMS manufacturers and product designers
- Road authorities, highway and tunnel operators
- Procurement teams and specification writers
- Accredited test labs and conformity assessment bodies
- Installers and system integrators involved in VMS deployment
Related standards
- EN 12966 Parts 2 & 3 (initial type testing, factory production control)
- EN 12899-1 (visual performance for continuous and externally illuminated signs)
- IEC/EN environmental and EMC test references (e.g., IEC 60068 series, EN 60529)
Keywords: EN 12966-1:2005/prA1, Variable Message Signs, VMS, luminance, beam width, LED sign, fibre optic sign, EMC, IP protection, road signage standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
EN 12966-1:2005/prA1 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Road vertical signs - Variable message traffic signs - Part 1: Product standard". This standard covers: This document specifies requirements and test methods for new Variable Message Signs (VMS). VMS comprise two types, continuous and discontinuous signs: - continuous signs are those that are similar to fixed signs, the only difference being that by some electro-mechanical means they can show various messages. NOTE 1 For example rotating prism signs, roller blinds. - discontinuous signs create messages using individual elements that can be in one of two states (or more) and can thereby create various messages on the same sign face. NOTE 2 For example fibre optic signs, LED signs. This document covers the performance requirements for Variable Message Signs used for the instruction and guidance of road users on public and private land, including tunnels. In this document a number of different performance requirements (visual performance, EMC, environmental performance, etc) are covered, as well as durability. The EMC, safety and environmental requirements for both types of VMS are included in this document together with the visual performance for the discontinuous types VMS. The visual performance for continuous signs and discontinuous signs which are externally illuminated is covered by EN 12899-1. This document defines performance limits and a range of performance classes for both sign assemblies without vertical support and assemblies complete with vertical support. Not covered by this document are: a) sign gantries, cantilevers and foundations; b) portable and temporary VMS; c) signal heads; d) sizes and shapes of VMS messages; e) control units and monitoring units unless inside the test module.
This document specifies requirements and test methods for new Variable Message Signs (VMS). VMS comprise two types, continuous and discontinuous signs: - continuous signs are those that are similar to fixed signs, the only difference being that by some electro-mechanical means they can show various messages. NOTE 1 For example rotating prism signs, roller blinds. - discontinuous signs create messages using individual elements that can be in one of two states (or more) and can thereby create various messages on the same sign face. NOTE 2 For example fibre optic signs, LED signs. This document covers the performance requirements for Variable Message Signs used for the instruction and guidance of road users on public and private land, including tunnels. In this document a number of different performance requirements (visual performance, EMC, environmental performance, etc) are covered, as well as durability. The EMC, safety and environmental requirements for both types of VMS are included in this document together with the visual performance for the discontinuous types VMS. The visual performance for continuous signs and discontinuous signs which are externally illuminated is covered by EN 12899-1. This document defines performance limits and a range of performance classes for both sign assemblies without vertical support and assemblies complete with vertical support. Not covered by this document are: a) sign gantries, cantilevers and foundations; b) portable and temporary VMS; c) signal heads; d) sizes and shapes of VMS messages; e) control units and monitoring units unless inside the test module.
EN 12966-1:2005/prA1 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 93.080.30 - Road equipment and installations. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
EN 12966-1:2005/prA1 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 12966-1:2005+A1:2009, EN 12966-1:2005. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
EN 12966-1:2005/prA1 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 305/2011, 89/106/EEC; Standardization Mandates: M/111. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
You can purchase EN 12966-1:2005/prA1 directly from iTeh Standards. The document is available in PDF format and is delivered instantly after payment. Add the standard to your cart and complete the secure checkout process. iTeh Standards is an authorized distributor of CEN standards.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-junij-2009
3RNRQþQLFHVWQL]QDNL3URPHWQL]QDNLVVSUHPHQOMLYLPVSRURþLORPGHO
6WDQGDUG]DSURL]YRG
Road vertical signs - Variable message traffic signs - Part 1: Product standard
Vertikale Verkehrszeichen - Wechselverkehrszeichen - Teil 1: Produktnorm
Signaux de signalisation routière verticale - Panneaux à messages variables - Partie 1:
Norme produit
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 12966-1:2005/prA1
ICS:
93.080.30 Cestna oprema in pomožne Road equipment and
naprave installations
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EUROPEAN STANDARD
FINAL DRAFT
EN 12966-1:2005
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
prA1
April 2009
ICS 93.080.30
English Version
Road vertical signs - Variable message traffic signs - Part 1:
Product standard
Signaux de signalisation routière verticale - Panneaux à Vertikale Verkehrszeichen - Wechselverkehrszeichen - Teil
messages variables - Partie 1: Norme produit 1: Produktnorm
This draft amendment is submitted to CEN members for unique acceptance procedure. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 226.
This draft amendment A1, if approved, will modify the European Standard EN 12966-1:2005. If this draft becomes an amendment, CEN
members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for inclusion of this amendment
into the relevant national standard without any alteration.
This draft amendment was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made
by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without notice and
shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2009 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 12966-1:2005/prA1:2009: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Foreword
This document (EN 12966-1:2005/prA1:2009) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 226 "Road
equipment", the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This document is currently submitted to the Unique Acceptance Procedure.
This document has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the European
Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU Directive(s).
For relationship with EU Directive(s), see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this document.
Annex ZA includes the requirements of the Mandate given under the EU Construction Products Directive (89/106).
Only if the requirements specified in Annex ZA are met, the CE marking will be affected.
The amendment of the following parts of EN 12966:2005 have become necessary in the light of experience in
using the standard.
1 Modifications to the Foreword
th
Replace the 6 paragraph with the following:
"Road vertical signs - Variable message traffic signs
- Part 1: (this part) Variable message signs (VMS)
- Part 2: Initial type testing
- Part 3: Factory production control".
Before the last paragraph add the following new paragraph: "Where a Member State has no legal requirement for a
characteristic manufacturers are not required to determine or declare the value of that characteristic."
2 Modification to the Introduction
Add the following new paragraph at the end:
"In Member States which have no legal requirement for any of the characteristics in this standard manufacturers
are not required to determine and declare the performance of those characteristics."
3 Modification to the Scope
Paragraph 5, line 1, add “externally illuminated” after “continuous signs and”.
Paragraph 7, delete exclusion “b) Portable and temporary VMS” and renumber accordingly.
Add the following new item: "e) sign luminance control."
Add the following new paragraph: "The control of the luminance of luminous signs with respect to the ambient light
is not covered by this standard."
4 Modification to Clause 2, Normative references
Replace the title of EN 60068-2-64 with "Environmental testing — Part 2: Test methods — Test Fh: Vibration,
broad band random (digital control) and guidance (IEC 60068-2-64;1993 + Corrigendum 1993)".
5 Modification to Clause 5, General design requirements
In the note, replace “Informative” with “informative”.
6 Modification to 7.1, Classification
In note 2, delete “Annex E” and replace with “D.3".
In note 2, delete “effective”.
7 Modification to 7.3, Luminance
st
Delete the 1 paragraph and replace with the following:
“The luminance shall be measured in accordance with 9.3.2, under external illumination from a solar simulator and
with the test module switched on. 'With settings prescribed by the manufacturer, the luminance values measured
for the test module shall comply with those of the Tables 4a to 4f that are relevant for the colours produced by the
test module."
Add the following new note: “NOTE 2 Specific design issues are covered in D.3, where guidelines are given on class
combinations.”
Replace "NOTE" with "NOTE 1".
Paragraph 4, line 1 replace “For” with “Additionally, for”.
8 Modification to 7.4, Luminance ratio
Paragraph 1, line 3, replace "9.3.2.4” with “9.3.2.3”.
Delete the following last sentence: “Class R3 is only recommended for specific applications, see E.5 Effective
class-combinations”.
Add “NOTE 2 Specific design issues are covered in D.3, where guidelines are given on class combinations.”.
st
Renumber the 1 note "NOTE 1".
9 Modification to 7.5, Beam width
nd
Replace the 2 paragraph with the following:
“Within the beam width angles, the measured luminance shall not be lower than 50 % of the measured luminance
on the reference axis. Table 6 shows the seven beam width classes.”
Replace the Note with the following:
“NOTE 1 Figure 2 shows examples of passed and not passed luminance distributions for the white/yellow colour, class
luminance L3, and beam width class B2 at a sign illuminance of 40 000 lx.
NOTE 2 Specific design issues are covered in D.3, where guidelines are given on class combinations.”
In Figure 2, delete key 3) and renumber the rest.
After Figure 2 add the following new paragraph:
“The luminance for this colour at the reference axis should be in the range 10 540 to 52 700 cd/m . Suppose the
actual measured luminance at the reference axis obeys this requirement and is 30 000 cd/m . Then the maximum
luminance at all other angles is 1,5 ×× ×× 30 000 = 45 000 cd/m . The minimum luminance at within the beam width
angles shall not be lower than 0,5 ×× ×× 30 000 = 15 000 cd/m . Outside the beam width angles the luminance is
allowed to be zero, but never larger than 57 200 cd/m .”
10 Modification to 8.1, Classification
In Table 7, delete row 2 and substitute the following:
“Protection P1, P2, P3 P3 is the most restrictive”
11 Modification to 8.2.2
Replace the heading with the following: “Resistance of electrical / electronic components to the effects of pollution”
st
In the 1 paragraph, delete “state” and substitute “declare”.
Delete the remaining paragraphs.
12 Modification to 8.2.4, Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP-level)
st
1 paragraph, line 2, add “test modules with a pollution degree level of 2, 3 or 4 shall” after “EN 60529 category 2)
and”.
In Table 9, change IP45 to IP 44, IP55 to IP54 and IP66 to IP56.
13 Modification to 8.3.1, General
st
Insert as 1 paragraph the following:
“VMS shall be designed to ensure reliable transfer of all static and dynamic forces to the fixing and mounting
structures. The walls of the housing shall be designed to satisfy the static requirements.”
14 Modification to 8.3.4, Impact resistance
Replace the existing text with the following:
“The test modules shall be capable of withstanding impact, and shall be tested in accordance with 9.2.3 Table 13.
After the test the test module front panel or parts of it shall show no damage other then small indentations in the
front surface; it shall exhibit no cracking.
The test module shall continue to meet all the requirements of the standard”
15 Modification to 8.4.1.2, Nominal voltages
Add the following note:
"NOTE Where low voltages are used, these should be as declared by the manufacturer."
16 Modification to 9.1.2, Dimensions of test modules
nd
At the end of the 2 paragraph add the following: ”Where a production sign is used for testing, the manufacturer
shall identify the test area which shall be as defined in 9.3.2.2.”
17 Modification to 9.2.3, Environmental and mechanical tests
In Table 13, last section
Replace “and the” with “other than small indentations in the front surface; it shall exhibit no cracking. The”
rd th
In Table 14, replace the 3 column, 4 row with the following
"0,013 g²/Hz (10 Hz to 50 Hz)
0,013 g²/Hz (50 Hz to 200 Hz with a negative slope 3 dB/octave)
Overall RMS acceleration 1,2 g"
In Table 16 - Severity
Replace "IP x5" to "IP x4" in class P1 and P2 to conform to changes in 8.2.4, Table 9.
Table 17 – Severity
Replace "IP 6x" with "IP 5x" in Class P 3 to conform to changes in 8.2.4, Table 9.
18 Modification to 9.3, Optical performance test methods
Delete title “9.3.2 Luminance and luminance ratio”
Delete “9.3.2.1”
Add title “9.3.2 Luminance and luminance ratio” after “The illumination shall be measured in the reference centre,
perpendicular to the reference axis.”
19 Modification to 9.3.2.1
Replace the title of this subclause with “Solar simulator”.
20 Modification to 9.3.3, Beam width
Add the following note:
“NOTE Beam width may be obtained by measuring luminance intensity and calculating the luminance using the equivalent
area.”
21 Modification to 9.3.4, Uniformity
nd
In the 2 paragraph, replace "Table 20" with "Table 19".
rd
Add the following 3 paragraph:
“A minimum of 25 individual elements shall be measured.”
22 Modification to 9.3.5, Colour
rd
Replace the 3 paragraph with the following:
“The colour of the light emitted shall be carried out for the highest and the lowest setting specified by the
manufacturer according to 7.3.”
23 Modification to Clause 10, Product classification codes
Item b), delete” D3” from list.
Delete “Pollution D1, D2, D3 & D4”. Renumber the remaining item 3) into 2).
24 Modification to Annex A
In Equation (A.1) add “measured in the direction of reference axis” to definition of “L”.
25 Modification to Annex
...
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