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UK road signs and their meanings

UK road signs work by shape: circles give orders, triangles warn and rectangles inform. Here are all 168 signs from the Highway Code, grouped by type. Pick a sign to see what it means and what to do when you meet it.

Signs and captions from The Highway Code: traffic signs (GOV.UK). Learning them for the test? Read road signs in the theory test. Looking for white diagonal stripes or other lines on the road? See road markings.

Signs giving orders

Signs with red circles are mostly prohibitive, and a plate below a sign qualifies its message.

Blue circle signs

Signs with blue circles but no red border mostly give a positive instruction: they tell you what you must do.

Ahead only blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Ahead only

Turn left ahead sign: a blue circle with a white arrow turning left

Turn left ahead

Turn left blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Turn left

Keep left sign: a blue circle with a white arrow pointing diagonally down to the left

Keep left

Pass either side sign: a blue circle with two white arrows pointing diagonally down to the left and right

Pass either side

Mini-roundabout blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Mini-roundabout

Route to be used by pedal cycles only blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Route to be used by pedal cycles only

Segregated pedal cycle and pedestrian route blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Segregated pedal cycle and pedestrian route

Minimum speed blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Minimum speed

End of minimum speed blue circle sign from the Highway Code

End of minimum speed

Buses and cycles only blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Buses and cycles only

Trams only blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Trams only

Pedestrian crossing point over tramway blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Pedestrian crossing point over tramway

One-way traffic blue circle sign from the Highway Code

One-way traffic

With-flow bus and cycle lane blue circle sign from the Highway Code

With-flow bus and cycle lane

Contra-flow bus lane blue circle sign from the Highway Code

Contra-flow bus lane

With-flow cycle lane sign: a blue rectangle with a white bicycle beside a lane

With-flow cycle lane

Warning signs

Warning signs are mostly triangular and tell you about a hazard ahead, so check your speed and be ready to react.

Distance to STOP line ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Distance to STOP line ahead

Dual carriageway ends warning sign: a red-bordered triangle showing two separate lanes joining into one road

Dual carriageway ends

Road narrows on right warning sign: a red-bordered triangle with the right-hand road edge closing in

Road narrows on right

Road narrows on both sides warning sign: a red-bordered triangle with both road edges closing in

Road narrows on both sides

Distance to Give Way line ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Distance to Give Way line ahead

Crossroads warning sign from the Highway Code

Crossroads

Junction on bend ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Junction on bend ahead

T-junction with priority warning sign from the Highway Code

T-junction with priority

Staggered junction warning sign from the Highway Code

Staggered junction

Traffic merging from left ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Traffic merging from left ahead

Double bend warning sign: a red-bordered triangle with a road bending left then right

Double bend

Bend to right warning sign from the Highway Code

Bend to right

Roundabout warning sign from the Highway Code

Roundabout

Uneven road warning sign from the Highway Code

Uneven road

Plate below some signs from the Highway Code

Plate below some signs

Two-way traffic crosses one-way road warning sign from the Highway Code

Two-way traffic crosses one-way road

Two-way traffic straight ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Two-way traffic straight ahead

Opening or swing bridge ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Opening or swing bridge ahead

Low-flying aircraft warning sign from the Highway Code

Low-flying aircraft

Falling or fallen rocks warning sign from the Highway Code

Falling or fallen rocks

Traffic signals not in use warning sign from the Highway Code

Traffic signals not in use

Traffic signals warning sign from the Highway Code

Traffic signals

Slippery road warning sign from the Highway Code

Slippery road

Steep hill downwards warning sign from the Highway Code

Steep hill downwards

Steep hill upwards warning sign from the Highway Code

Steep hill upwards

Tunnel ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Tunnel ahead

Trams crossing ahead warning sign: a red-bordered triangle with a tram

Trams crossing ahead

Level crossing with barrier ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Level crossing with barrier ahead

Level crossing without barrier ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Level crossing without barrier ahead

Level crossing without barrier warning sign from the Highway Code

Level crossing without barrier

School crossing patrol ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

School crossing patrol ahead

Frail pedestrians warning sign: a red-bordered triangle showing two older people, one with a walking stick

Frail pedestrians

Pedestrians in road ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Pedestrians in road ahead

Zebra crossing warning sign from the Highway Code

Zebra crossing

Overhead electric cable warning sign: a red-bordered triangle with a lightning symbol, above a safe height plate

Overhead electric cable

Available headroom width warning sign from the Highway Code

Available headroom width

Sharp deviation of route sign: white chevrons pointing left on a black rectangle

Sharp deviation of route

Light signals ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Light signals ahead

Level crossing miniature warning lights warning sign from the Highway Code

Level crossing miniature warning lights

Cattle warning sign from the Highway Code

Cattle

Wild animals warning sign from the Highway Code

Wild animals

Wild horses or ponies warning sign from the Highway Code

Wild horses or ponies

Accompanied horses or ponies warning sign from the Highway Code

Accompanied horses or ponies

Cycle route ahead warning sign from the Highway Code

Cycle route ahead

Risk of ice warning sign from the Highway Code

Risk of ice

Traffic queues likely warning sign: a red-bordered triangle with a line of cars, above a "Queues likely" plate

Traffic queues likely ahead

Distance over which road humps extend warning sign from the Highway Code

Distance over which road humps extend

Other danger warning sign from the Highway Code

Other danger

Soft verges warning sign from the Highway Code

Soft verges

Side winds warning sign from the Highway Code

Side winds

Hump bridge warning sign from the Highway Code

Hump bridge

Worded warning sign: a red-bordered triangle with the word "Ford"

Worded warning sign

Quayside or river bank warning sign: a red-bordered triangle showing a car tipping off a quay into water

Quayside or river bank

Risk of grounding warning sign from the Highway Code

Risk of grounding

Motorway direction signs

It gives route information, not an order.

Junction leading directly into a motorway motorway direction sign from the Highway Code

Junction leading directly into a motorway

Motorway junction approach motorway direction sign from the Highway Code

Motorway junction approach

Motorway route confirmatory motorway direction sign from the Highway Code

Motorway route confirmatory

Get in lane motorway arrows motorway direction sign from the Highway Code

Get in lane motorway arrows

Motorway next exit destinations panel motorway direction sign from the Highway Code

Motorway next exit destinations panel

Primary route direction signs

It gives route information, not an order.

Primary route roundabout approach primary route direction sign from the Highway Code

Primary route roundabout approach

Primary route at the junction primary route direction sign from the Highway Code

Primary route at the junction

Primary route confirmatory sign: a green sign listing the road number, places ahead and their distances in miles

Primary route confirmatory

Primary route junction approach primary route direction sign from the Highway Code

Primary route junction approach

Bilingual junction approach in Wales primary route direction sign from the Highway Code

Bilingual junction approach in Wales

Ring road sign: a white capital R on a green background with a yellow border

Ring road crossroads

Ring road sign: a white capital R on a green background with a yellow border

Ring road

Local route direction signs

It gives route information, not an order.

Local route crossroads approach local route direction sign from the Highway Code

Local route crossroads approach

Local route junction approach local route direction sign from the Highway Code

Local route junction approach

Local route at the junction local route direction sign from the Highway Code

Local route at the junction

Toilets with disabled access local route direction sign from the Highway Code

Toilets with disabled access

Other direction signs

It gives information about your route, not an order.

Picnic site direction sign from the Highway Code

Picnic site

Ancient monument sign: a brown direction sign with a white castle symbol and the place name

Ancient monument

Direction to a car park direction sign from the Highway Code

Direction to a car park

Tourist attraction direction sign from the Highway Code

Tourist attraction

Direction to camping and caravan site direction sign from the Highway Code

Direction to camping and caravan site

Advisory route for lorries direction sign from the Highway Code

Advisory route for lorries

Cycle network route direction sign from the Highway Code

Cycle network route

Recommended cycle route to place shown direction sign from the Highway Code

Recommended cycle route to place shown

Route for pedestrians direction sign from the Highway Code

Route for pedestrians

Emergency diversion route (square) direction sign from the Highway Code

Emergency diversion route (square)

Emergency diversion route (triangle) direction sign from the Highway Code

Emergency diversion route (triangle)

Emergency diversion route (diamond) direction sign from the Highway Code

Emergency diversion route (diamond)

Emergency diversion route (circle) direction sign from the Highway Code

Emergency diversion route (circle)

Diversion route sign: a yellow sign with a black arrow and the destination in black lettering

Diversion route

Information signs

Information signs are all rectangular and tell you about the road and what is on it.

Road works signs

Slow down, follow the signs and keep to any temporary speed limit (Highway Code rule 288).

Road works road works sign from the Highway Code

Road works

Loose chippings road works sign from the Highway Code

Loose chippings

Temporary hazard at road works road works sign from the Highway Code

Temporary hazard at road works

Temporary lane closure road works sign from the Highway Code

Temporary lane closure

Works vehicle blocking a lane road works sign from the Highway Code

Works vehicle blocking a lane

Mandatory speed limit ahead road works sign from the Highway Code

Mandatory speed limit ahead

Road works 1 mile ahead road works sign from the Highway Code

Road works 1 mile ahead

End of road works road works sign from the Highway Code

End of road works

Works vehicle lane closed ahead (800 yards) road works sign from the Highway Code

Works vehicle lane closed ahead (800 yards)

Works vehicle lane closed ahead (450 yards) road works sign from the Highway Code

Works vehicle lane closed ahead (450 yards)

Lane restrictions at road works ahead road works sign from the Highway Code

Lane restrictions at road works ahead

One lane crossover at contraflow road works road works sign from the Highway Code

One lane crossover at contraflow road works

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