This Russian road sign is typical of many warning signs around the world.

Warning signs are a great type of traffic signal that can inform drivers of potential hazard on the road ahead. This warning can be very be helpful, especially with conditions that may not be readily apparent to a driver.

In most countries, they usually take the shape of an equilateral triangle with a white background and a thick red border. However, both the color of the background and the color and thickness of the border varies from country to country.

In Sweden, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Finland, Iceland, the Republic of Macedonia and Poland, they have a red border with an amber background. This is due to the weather, as it is easier to see a red/amber sign in the snowy weather than a red/white sign.  

The polar bear warning sign in Svalbard.

The warning signs usually contain a symbol. In Europe they are based on the UNECE Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. In the United States they are based on the MUTCD standard and often contain text only.

Most warning signs are pretty clear on what the potential hazard is, but occasionally there pops up a warning sign that even Bill Engvall would have difficulty deciphering. We found one of these signs on cheezburger.com

This one apparently comes from Iceland or Northern German where Icelandic is the common language. At first look the graphics seem to be warning that overturned Volkswagens will be danced upon by pygmies. 

Overturned Volkswagens will be danced upon by pygmies.

Realizing that Iceland does not have a large population of pygmies, we knew this couldn’t be the correct meaning. Perhaps it is a warning about the Sand People of Tatooine, a culture of nomadic, primitive sentients that are often hostile to local settlers. 

Tatooine is a long way from Iceland, so the possibility of Sand People being recognized in a warning sign is slight… at best.

The sign, now properly oriented, clearly showed a car driving into pedestrians at the local farmer’s market.

It was suggested that the sign was originally posted upside down. We flipped to sign over to it’s new orientation and the picture became clear. It’s obviously a warning about run-away cars plowing through the farmer’s market on the weekends.

Tell us what you think this sign is trying to warn motorists against.