Ahead Stop

I actually have trouble comprehending messages when they paint them on the road in this idiotic manner. It takes me valuable seconds to decode them.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices specifies:

If a pavement marking word message consists of more than one line of information, it should read in the direction of travel. The first word of the message should be nearest to the road user.

But it provides no justification. Maybe Yoda wrote the spec.

(Courtesy xkcd.)

Comments

[Evan]

I have often wondered why these signs appeared backwards too. However, one day in a traffic jam as we crawled along the road, I saw one of these messages appear in the correct order as it was revealed by the car in front of me. Perhaps they the way they are meant to be read. It said "Stop Ahead". Generally you would see the stop sign unless you were tailing a large semi. Then there's a chance you could see the sign on the road.