Reading a sign at a glance
- The shape says what kind of sign it is. Circles give orders, triangles warn, rectangles inform.
- The colour of a circle says which kind of order. A red ring means you must not; a blue circle means you must.
- A red bar across a symbol means “no”. No right turn, no U-turns, no waiting.
Our road signs guide explains these rules, and the signs people mix up most.
All 33 signs in this quiz
Show every sign and its meaning
Warning signs
Mostly triangles: something ahead you need to be ready for.
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Crossroads ahead
Where one road has priority, it’s shown by a thicker line.
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T-junction ahead
The road ends at a junction, so you’ll have to turn left or right.
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Side road on the right
Watch for traffic coming out of the side road.
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Roundabout ahead
Traffic goes clockwise round a roundabout. Be ready to give way to traffic from your right.
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Bend to the right
Slow down before the bend, not while you’re in it.
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Double bend, first to the left
The road bends left and then right. If the first bend were to the right, the sign would be the other way round.
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Road narrows on both sides
The road ahead gets narrower from both sides.
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Road narrows on the right
The road ahead gets narrower from the right-hand side.
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Two-way traffic straight ahead
You may be leaving a one-way road, so expect oncoming traffic.
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Steep hill downwards
A 10% gradient drops 1 metre for every 10 metres. A lower gear helps you control your speed.
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Hump bridge
The road rises over a bridge, which can hide oncoming traffic until the last moment.
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Traffic signals ahead
Be ready to stop at traffic lights ahead.
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Uneven road
The road surface is bumpy. Slow down to keep control.
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Other danger ahead
A plate under the sign usually says what the danger is.
Give way and stop
Two shapes of their own, so they can be recognised from behind or under snow.
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Give way to traffic on the major road
You’ll usually see a broken double white line across the road where you give way.
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Stop and give way
You must stop at the solid white line, even if the road looks clear.
Orders: red rings
A red ring says what you must not do.
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No entry for vehicular traffic
You’ll often see it where a one-way street ends.
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No vehicles
No vehicles at all, except bicycles being pushed.
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Maximum speed 30 mph
A red ring means you must not: here, you must not go faster than 30 mph.
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National speed limit applies
For cars that means 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways.
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No right turn
The red bar across the arrow means the turn isn’t allowed.
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No left turn
The red bar across the arrow means the turn isn’t allowed.
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No U-turns
You must not turn round to go back the way you came.
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No waiting
The times it applies are usually on a plate below the sign or nearby.
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No stopping (clearway)
You must not stop on the main carriageway, not even to pick up or drop off passengers.
Orders: blue circles
A blue circle says what you must do.
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Minimum speed 30 mph
A blue circle tells you what you must do. Compare it with the red-ringed 30 limit.
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Ahead only
You must go straight on. A blue circle gives an order.
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Turn left
You must turn left. A blue circle gives an order.
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Keep left
Pass to the left of an obstruction or traffic island.
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Mini-roundabout
Give way to traffic from the right and go clockwise round the central marking.
Information
Rectangles give information.
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One-way traffic
An information sign: traffic only goes the way the arrow points. Don’t mix it up with the round “ahead only” sign.
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No through road
There’s no way out at the far end for vehicles.
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Parking place
A car park or parking place. Any limits are shown on a plate.
Sources
Sign drawings by Zee Theory Center, based on the official designs. Traffic sign designs are Crown copyright, reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Signs in real life may have plates or small variations.