The difference of sign and symbol

Signs
Signs are informative, mandatory, warning, advisory and prohibitory in
nature. For examples, when you see the traffic light turn red, you
automatically stop driving or riding a motorcycle. In hospitals, there is a sign
that contains a burning cigarette that is crossed out inside a big circle. It is a
prohibitory sign in the sense that you are warned that the hospital is a no
smoking zone. Similarly, you see a sign depicting a horn that is crossed out
on a school building. It depicts that it is mandatory to maintain silence, and
you must not honk the horn in the zone. No U turn and sharp turn are
signs on roads to avoid accidents and thus classify under warning signs.
Symbols
Symbols are signs that stand for something else. For example, a cross is a
symbol of Christianity worldwide just as plus sign has come to mean Red
Cross or hospital in general, and even an illiterate person knows he can get
medical services when he sees this symbol. There are symbols for elements
in chemistry, which are derived by abbreviating their names such as O
standing for Oxygen. In a similar manner, there are hundreds of symbols in
all parts of the world that stand for something else and readily recognizable.
Difference between a sign and a symbol
One big difference between a sign and a symbol is that signs literally have a
language of their own; a toilet is meant for ladies by a sign over the door of
the place, just as you immediately know that there is a restaurant nearby
with a sign that is displayed on road. On the other hand, symbols are
abstract or subjective in nature and require interpretation. A rainbow stands
as a symbol of good luck while a thunderstorm on a rainy day has come to
reflect a bad omen.