What is the difference between the symbols for motor vehicles and small cars?
2 Answers
Small cars and motor vehicles have different symbols. Small cars are depicted with a side view image, while motor vehicles are shown with a front view image. The definitions of small cars and motor vehicles are as follows: 1. Small car: Small cars generally refer to A0-class vehicles within the A-type category. They typically have a wheelbase between 2.2 and 2.3 meters and an engine displacement ranging from 1 to 1.3 liters. Small cars usually have low fuel consumption and compact designs, offering more comfortable and spacious interiors compared to microcars. 2. Motor vehicle: Motor vehicles refer to wheeled vehicles driven or towed by power devices, used for transporting people or goods on roads, as well as for specialized engineering operations. According to national safety inspection standards for motor vehicles, they can be classified into: large automobiles, small automobiles, special-purpose vehicles, special vehicles, trams, trolleybuses, battery-powered vehicles, three-wheeled motorcycles, two-wheeled motorcycles, light motorcycles, four-wheeled agricultural transport vehicles, three-wheeled agricultural transport vehicles, and various agricultural tractors.
I've been driving for nearly thirty years and have often seen various traffic signs on the road, discussing the differences between motor vehicle and passenger car symbols. The motor vehicle symbol is usually a simple vehicle outline, blending trucks and cars together to represent all engine-powered vehicles—it looks quite generic. In contrast, the no-passenger-car sign is much more specific, featuring a smaller car-shaped icon that emphasizes compact private vehicles. This design distinction helps drivers quickly identify which road sections restrict larger vehicles. For example, highway exits may have signs allowing only small cars to pass, and a closer comparison of the icons reveals clear differences, including variations in color and line depth. On long-distance drives, I pay special attention to this because narrow urban alleys often have such distinctions to avoid fines or even towing for wrong turns. Additionally, some restricted zone signs include text descriptions for emphasis, but the symbols themselves serve as visual cues. Learning to recognize them saves trouble and can prevent unnecessary detours, reducing wasted time.
