segnalamento

Segnalamento is the set of signals, visual and audible, and other devices used to communicate information and issue instructions to coordinate behavior and ensure safety in public and technical contexts. The term derives from segnale (signal) and the suffix -amento, which denotes a process or function.

The concept of segnalamento spans multiple domains. In road contexts, it includes vertical road signs, horizontal markings, traffic lights, and warning or prohibition devices that regulate the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. In rail transportation, segnalamento concerns fixed and movable signals, track-side devices, and control systems that prevent collisions and coordinate train movement. In maritime settings, segnalamento uses flags, light signals, and sound indications to communicate between vessels and between ships and coast, following internationally established protocols.

Standardization of segnalamento is essential for safety and interoperability. International and regional bodies have defined criteria, shapes, colors, and meanings of signals to ensure consistency across borders and modes of transport. Beyond transportation, the term is also used in broader technical and scientific contexts to describe signaling processes, such as information transmission between components in systems or pathways in biology, where “cell signaling” is referred to as segnalamento cellulare in Italian.

See also: segnali, segnaletica, segnalazione luminosa.