to the motorist to guess what the sign was referring to, and it was common to have variations between different local areas for what was a prohibition or just a "notice". This format was to develop into the British road sign that was standard from 1934 until 1964. Before this time regulations for traffic signs were published under powers created by the Road Traffic Act 1930 and so national road signage specifications were only advisory. Following a review of national signage in 1921, a limited number of warning and hazard information plates also used symbols, rather than only text. Such symbols had been developed in continental Europe as early as 1909, but before this had been dismissed by the UK which favoured the use of text. The symbols were simple silhouettes which were easy to recognise at a distance. Some were unusual, such as 'SCHOOL' (and later 'CHILDREN') was depicted by the 'flaming torch of knowledge'. The government made increasing efforts to standardise road signs in the Road Traffic Act 1930 (RTA) and regulations of 1933, being finally consolidated with the publication of the 1934 Road Traffic Acts and Regulations handbook. These saw the end of non-standard permanent signs being erected by motoring clubs, such as the black and yellow vitreous enamel AA signs (although this did not include temporary direction signs). While the RSAC had ceased erecting signs, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) had begun to do so to RTA specifications (save for the inclusion of the RAC badge) and was very active in this respect in the late-1930s. The 1934 national British signs included: a red disc (for a prohibition), a red open triangle (for a warning or hazard), a red ring (for an order), and a red open triangle in a circle for a new warning with an order (which had the plates 'SLOW - MAJOR ROAD AHEAD' and 'HALT AT MAJOR ROAD AHEAD', the predecessors of 'GIVE WAY' and 'STOP' signs respectively). All signs were to carry information plates mounted below them, which were illustrated with a wide range of prescribed standardised symbols, and only text when no symbol existed. The lettering and symbols were black on a white background, except for orders (like 'TURN LEFT') which were white on blue. New to the UK were the first combination sign, which incorporated information on the sign itself, the 30 miles per hour speed restriction (introduced in