Do you know your road signs? Road Signs The signing system On-street parking control signs and road markings Warning signs Road markings Regulatory signs Traffic calming Speed limit signs Motorway signs, signals and road markings Low bridge signs Information signs Level crossing signs and signals Traffic signals Tram signs, signals and road markings Miscellaneous signs Bus and cycle signs and road markings Pedestrian zone signs Signs for traffic diversions

of a motorway that has three or more lanes.Motorways must not be used by certain classes of traffic: learnerdrivers other than HGV, invalid carriages of less than 254 kgunladen weight, pedal cycles, motorcycles under 50 cc capacity,agricultural vehicles and vehicles incapable of attaining a speedof 25 mph on the level when unladen and not drawing a trailer.Pedestrians and animals are also prohibited.

To ensure that direction signs are absolutely clear to driverstravelling at motorway speeds, it is necessary to limit the numberof destinations shown. Your destination might not appear on themotorway signs: when planning a journey, it is advisable beforesetting off to check the junction number of the exit you require.Junctions can be identified by the number shown on a blackbackground in the bottom left-hand or top left-hand corner ofmotorway signs (or, in the case of overhead signs, in a separatepanel also indicating the distance to the junction). Junctionnumbers are usually shown on road maps, so it is easy to checkthese before starting your journey. On the motorway, thesenumbers can be used as a guide to your location. However, notall junctions have an exit in both directions, so numbers may notbe consecutive. Where new junctions have been constructed, thenumber may be followed by a letter

A road other than a motorway is called an "all-purpose road". Atthe point where you join a motorway, a special symbol is used toindicate the start of motorway regulations. A direction sign on anall-purpose road will normally use this symbol to indicate amotorway slip road or the beginning of a motorway. Where a signshows a motorway route number on a blue background withoutthe symbol, the route indicated will normally be an all-purposeroad that you should follow to reach the motorway.



Blue direction signs, with the motorway symbol and large route numbers, indicate that a motorway or motorway slip road leads directly from a junction with an all-purpose road. The motorway junction number, shown on the black background, may not always be included



On the approach to a junction with a motorway, a direction sign on anall-purpose road has blue panels that include the motorway symbol.The panels may include the junction number on a black background.The name in capital letters is a regional destination

Signs for junctions on the motorway

On the approach to a junction, direction signs are usually located1 mile and 1/2 mile in advance, and at the exit point. Wherejunctions are close together, these distances may be reduced,normally to 2/3mile and 1/3 mile respectively. The signs may bemounted at the side of the road or overhead.

Signs located at the side of the motorway. These are used where there is a deceleration lane. The number of lanes through the junction remains the same

The first two signs onthe approach to a junction show the destination and the route number for the exit only. The distance shown (usually 1 mile or ½ mile) is the distance to the exit (start of the deceleration lane). The junction number is shown on the black background

This sign is located at the start of the deceleration lane and includes destinations reached by staying on the motorway

A final route direction signis usually located where the exit slip road separates from the main carriageway

Countdown markers indicate the distance to the start of the deceleration lane. Each bar represents about 100 yards

Signs located at the side of the motorway where one or more lanes leave the main carriageway to become the exit slip road. This type of junction is known as a lane drop

This sign is normally located1 mile and ½ mile before the junction and shows the appropriate lanes to use for various destinations. In this example, the left-hand lane leads directly to the exit slip road; the centre andright-hand lanes continue through the junction This sign, with the inclined arrow, is normally located just before the left-hand lane leaves the main carriageway

Signs showing lanes that join the main carriageway at junctions

The slip road joins the main carriageway as a lane gain to increase the number oflanes from two to three.A distance panel may be added The right-hand lane of the slip road joins the main carriageway as a merge with an acceleration lane. This is followed by the left-hand lane which joins the main carriageway as a lane gain. Chevron road markings normally separate the two lanes on the slip road. The distance may be omitted

Direction signs on exit slip roads (the green panels indicate a primary route; the white panels indicate a non-primary route)



Signs for tourist destinations

Tourist destinations are shown on signs with brown backgrounds.On the main carriageway of a motorway, these are separate fromthe main direction signs and are usually sited 3/4 mile and 1/4 milefrom the junction (although they do not show the distance to thejunction). On exit slip roads and where the motorway ends at aroundabout, the main direction signs may show touristdestinations on a brown panel, in the same way that they showother destinations on green and white panels (see page 83).However, separate brown signs are likely to be used at theselocations to avoid putting too much information on a single sign.See pages 100 to 102 for more information about tourist signs.



Other signs on motorways

A route confirmatory sign is provided after most junctions. This shows the motorway number and the distances to the main destinations ahead Where there are more destinations than can be accommodated on the direction signs at a junction, a sign such as this may be used in advance of the 1 mile direction sign. It advises drivers of the route to be followed (or junction to leave at) for destinations that cannot be accommodated on the main junction sign This sign indicates a slip road that leads to a maintenance compound and is not availableto the general public Where a motorway has been widened but the original bridges retained, there may be no hard shoulder under or over the bridge. Where this occurs, signs will indicate the distance over which this applies. There will be hatched markings on the hard shoulder at the point where it comes to an end Observation platforms are sometimes provided at the back of the hard shoulder. These are reserved for authorised vehicles, such as those of the Highways Agency's Traffic Officers or the police

Motorway signals and variable signs

These advise of abnormal traffic conditions ahead (e.g. laneclosures or fog) and may indicate a speed limit. Where variable speed limit signsare mounted over individual lanes and the speed limit is shown ina red ring , the limit is mandatory. Speed limits thatdo not include the red ring are the maximum speeds advised forthe prevailing conditions.

Signals and variable signs may apply to individual lanes whenmounted overhead or, when located on the central reservation orat the side of the motorway, to the whole carriageway. They arenormally blank, but when they indicate a restriction the reasonmay not always be obvious. There may have been an accidentahead, so take no chances and obey the signals. When redlamps are flashing above your lane, you MUST STOP unlessyou can move safely to a lane where red signals are not showing.

Signals and variable signs above each lane of the motorway



Signals and variable signs at the side of the motorway

These apply to the carriageway as a whole and are either located on the central reservation or mounted above the hard shoulder in combination with variable signs that display information about road works, congestion and diversions ahead. The amber lamps flash in pairs from top to bottom


All lanes closed (signs for carriageways with four, three or two lanes). Do not enter the motorway when the red lamps are flashing in pairs from side to side