No Symbol - Uses

Uses

The "prohibition" symbol is used on traffic signs, so that drivers can interpret traffic laws quickly while driving. For example:

• No left turn
• No U-turn
• No parking

By analogy, the sign is used in public places to refer to prohibited actions not having to do with traffic:

• No smoking (with symbol of a lit cigarette)
• No littering (with symbol of person littering)
• No swimming (with symbol of swimmer in water)

It is also used on packages sent through the mail, and sealed boxes of merchandise that is sold in stores. Using a graphical symbol is useful when the item must be handled by people who understand different languages as it is transported. For example:

• Breakable; do not drop
• Keep away from magnetic fields

In product documentation, this may be accompanied by drawings of the product being threatened by the prohibited items: for instance, a cartoon of a floppy disk being menaced by horseshoe magnets.

It is also used on clothing, linens, and other household products to indicate the care, treatment or cleaning of the item. For example:

• Do not iron

Also, many companies use the "prohibition sign" when describing the services they offer, e.g. an insect deterrent spray brand symbol showing the "prohibition sign" over a mosquito. The Ghostbusters logo is a fictional example of this, although it uses a mirror image of the no symbol instead of the ISO 3864-1 version.