Road signs in the United Kingdom

Early traffic signs Milestones and direction markers The Romans used milestones, some of which survive, notably on Stanegate beside Hadrian's Wall. at Chesterholm With the rise of coaching in the eighteenth century, roads were improved and milestones placed. An early set was that placed in 1728 – 1732 between Cambridge and Barkway by Dr William Warren of Trinity Hall (hence the crest on the stones). and Barkway The Turnpike Roads Act 1773 required markers to be erected along the turnpike roads indicating the distance between the main towns on the road. These were known as "guide posts" or "fingerposts". Protection of bridges After the passing of the Malicious Injuries to Property Act, 1827, highway authorities started to place notices on their bridges warning against anyone damaging them. Most notices were placed at the centre of the bridge on its parapet and so informed those in the community who used the bridge rather than addressing travellers There are about twenty of these notices in Dorset. Bridge, Dorset The Malicious Injuries to Property Act was repealed in 1861, the same year as the Locomotive Act 1861 was passed. Section 6 made it unlawful "to drive [a locomotive] over any ... Bridge on which a conspicuous Notice has been placed ... that the Bridge is insufficient to carry Weights beyond the ordinary Traffic of the District". New notices appeared; some completely new, others as replacements for the earlier ones and, at Bockhampton, Dorset, in addition. Some cited the Act 1861 explicitly and specified the weight limit. Bridge, DorsetThe bridge over the Thames at Henley, Oxfordshire, has signs at each side placed to attract the attention of approaching Engine Drivers warning them to take one loaded truck across at a time. , Oxfordshire Most such signs are undated. One at Buntingford in Hertfordshire is dated 1899. That in Bournemouth is as late as 1922. The Locomotives on Highways Act 1896 allowed local authorities to create bye-laws imposing (weight) restrictions on bridges. Most used this and subsequent legislation to place notices on bridges. Section.6 of the 1861 Act remained in force until 1980. Signs for cyclists Modern British road signage can be traced to the development of the "ordinary" bicycle and the establishment of clubs to further the interests of its riders, notably the Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), the National Cyclists' Union (NCU) and the Scottish Cyclists' Union (SCU). By the early 1880s, all three organisations were erecting their own cast-iron "danger boards". Importantly, these signs warned of hazards, rather than just stating distances or giving direction to places, acknowledging the fact that cyclists, like modern motorists, were unlikely to be familiar with the roads they were travelling along and were moving too fast to take avoiding action without prior warning. , Cheshire It was the cycling lobby that successfully pressured the government in 1888 to vest ownership of and responsibility for roads in previously established highway districts with county councils. There they would be funded from taxation rather than tolls. The districts were active in the erection of semi-standardised directional signs and mileposts in the latter years of the 19th century. Signs for motorists The Locomotives Act 1865 (popularly known as the "Red Flag Act") imposed a speed limit of 2 mph on motor vehicles in towns and 4 mph elsewhere and required a man to walk 60 yards ahead carrying a red flag. The Highways and Locomotives (Amendment) Act 1878 repealed the requirement for the man to carry a red flag, instead requiring him to walk at least twenty yards ahead to assist approaching horses and carriages. It retained the speed limits and empowered county councils to charge up to £10 for a licence to operate a locomotive on its roads. The Locomotives on Highways Act 1896 deemed vehicles weighing less than 3 tons unladen to be carriages, thereby removing the restrictions on locomotives. A speed limit of 12 mph was imposed by regulations under the Act. This led to the rise of motoring after 1896. As with cyclists, the larger motoring clubs, notably The Automobile Association (AA) and the Royal Scottish Automobile Club (RSAC) erected their own, idiosyncratic warning boards and direction signs on a wide scale. Most were removed at the outbreak of the Second World War. Some escaped, including the one illustrated. This is from the years after 1910, when the AA had merged with the Motor Union and before it dropped "& M.U." from its signs. , Worcestershire Motor Car Act 1903; national traffic signs The Motor Car Act 1903 further raised the speed limit for motor cars weighing less than 2 tons unladen to 20 mph. Local authorities could impose a limit of 10 mph "with a view to the safety of the public" and specify speed limits for vehicles weighing more than 2 tons. They already had powers to impose prohibitions and weight limits on roads and bridges using bye-laws. In 1904 the Local Government Board (LGB) issued the Heavy Motor-car Order, which increased the maximum unladen weight for motor cars to 5 tons, or 6½ tons with a trailer. This allowed the development of commercial motor vehicles, including buses and coaches. Accompanying the covering letter which the Secretary of the LGB sent to local authorities was an Appendix (see image). This set out recommendations from the County Councils Association and the Municipal Corporations Association for four patterns of road signs. The circular expressed support for the recommendations, saying that if Councils followed them, it wouldn't need to issue regulations. Signs were to be set at least from the ground and, for caution signs, from their reference point., Hillingdon, London Speed limit signs were only to be used where a local authority had imposed a limit, which had to be 10 mph or less. The plate beneath the white ring gave the speed limit, which applied only to motor vehicles: many cyclists could exceed 10 mph. It was customary for red bands to be painted on lamp standards, tram poles, etc where a reduced speed limit was in force. with a pre-1921-style Caution sign but a tubular post, so probably 1920sCaution signs were warnings to motorists to slow down so that they could respond to the hazard ahead, whatever it was. The diamond-shaped "other motor notices" were mainly placed to indicate weight and axle limits at bridges. Railway and canal companies used diamonds composed of two equilateral triangles, most with sides; local authorities used tilted squares. The earliest signs, including the post, were made entirely of cast iron. Two examples survive: a prohibition disc at Overstrand, Norfolk; and a caution triangle at Harlington, London (see image). By 1914, manufacturers were offering Caution signs with plates which could be attached to specify the hazard. These included Dangerous Corner and School. Sometimes they also had an exhortation, e.g. "Drive carefully"., North Yorkshire placed by the North Eastern Railway Company 1921 standardisation of road signs A review of signage by a committee under (later Sir) Henry Maybury led to the issuing in 1921 of a circular, Standardisation of Road Direction Posts and Warning Signs Form 39. This strongly recommended the use of standard plates beneath the shapes from 1904 (except the diamond, which was complete in itself). The symbols were based on those which had been developed in continental Europe from 1909, with Maybury insisting that the symbol would from now on "be regarded as the principal means of indicating the nature of the danger". catalogue of 1930 Six of the symbols (the other two were mirror images of the corner and double corner) are shown on the Advert for "Motor Sign Posts" of 1930 (see image).The least intuitive was the 'flaming torch of knowledge', which was used for School. It was superseded by a silhouette of children in 1957. , Devon Another significant change was the introduction of name boards at the entry to towns and villages. By the end of the 1920s, traffic lights had come into use in 50 towns and cities. The Ministry of Transport recommended a warning sign, Signals Ahead, which had a plate of the usual size depicting the signal head (with the lights coloured). This sign was surmounted not by a red triangle but a yellow disc with "WARNING" in black letters across it. This echoed the 12" yellow globes (predecessors of Belisha beacons) which were sometimes placed above traffic signals to make them more conspicuous. The early 1930s 1930 Memorandum No. 291 (Roads) In 1930 the Minister of Transport issued a circular advising local authorities to use the following additional danger signs: • Road Junction (three types: T-junction; side roads to the left and right) • (Level) Crossing No Gates (a 4-6-0 locomotive in steam) • Dead Slow , North Yorkshire The Dead Slow sign was the Cross Roads or T-junction sign with new text, surmounted by a red caution triangle inside a red ring. However, this didn't change the rules at the major road: the driver on it still had to "exercise due caution" A sign, One-way Street, was introduced with an arrow pointing in the direction of flow. It was regarded as informatory, as much for pedestrians as motorists, rather than an instruction to those on the carriageway. , Kent A circular white "P" sign on a blue plate was introduced to show Parking Places. There was (and is) no general right to park on highways. By 1930, local authorities were under pressure to provide parking facilities. They did this either by designating parts of particular roads as parking places (marked by triangular metal studs) or by creating separate facilities on other land. In London, Leeds, Glasgow and some other places, cars parked on the road had to be left unlocked so that they could be moved by hand. Another white-on-blue sign with an arrow and the words "To Car Park" pointed the way. 1930 Road Traffic Act; Maybury Committee The Road Traffic Act 1930 (RTA) reformed the regulation of motor vehicles and road traffic, It raised the default speed limits which the 1903 Motor Car Act had imposed, removing them completely from cars weighing less than 2½ tons. The Government took powers to mandate the traffic signs to be used and empowered local authorities to erect them. A Departmental Committee was set up in 1931 under Sir Henry Maybury to report on their design. One constraint on the Committee was the ratification in 1929 of the 1926 Paris Convention on Motor Traffic. This required the UK to use the symbols which the Convention had agreed: sharp turn; cross roads, level crossings with and without gates; and uneven road. The symbol for a sharp bend was a tilted version of a double bend and the Convention required it to be used for all types of bend. The Committee recommended using separate symbols for left- and right-handed single and double bends as soon as the UK could either secure revision to the Convention or escape from its commitment. This did not happen until the early 1950s; meanwhile the 1933 Regulations required new signs to use the international Bend symbol instead of the Corner or Double Corner. , Lincolnshire The UK did not subscribe to the 1931 Geneva Convention and so was not bound by it. However, the Parking Places sign was changed to be square, which corresponded to that adopted by the 1931 Geneva Convention. Other 1931 Convention signs which the Committee did not adopt but which were later adopted in modified form were: • Speed limit, adopted for 30 mph in 1935 • No Entry, adopted in 1950 The old red-disc prohibition signs were to remain with a new plate for use at bridges. There was to be a new style of plate with white-on-red text for No Entry: One-way Street, No Right Turn and No Left Turn. Speed limit signs (white rings with a number beneath) were only used to show reduced limits imposed by traffic orders, bye-laws, etc. These were to be replaced by new white-on-red plates beneath a hollow red ring. The hollow red ring was also to be used with white-on-blue plates for Turn Left: One Way Only and Keep Left; the former were mainly used in one-way systems (including urban squares); the latter at the centre of roundabouts. The plate of the Dead Slow sign from the 1930 Memorandum was to be enlarged to become a new sign Slow: Major Road Ahead. It retained the red triangle inside a red ring. Red-triangle signs now had to have a rectangular plate showing a symbol with text beneath. The plate could be from • the 1921 standardisation (except Corner and Double Corner) • the 1930 Memorandum (except Dead Slow) • new plates which the Committee proposed: • Road Narrows • Narrow Bridge • Low Bridge • Roundabout • Hospital (a white Maltese cross on a black shield) , Hampshire In addition there was a landscape-format text-only plate for No Through Road. All signs were to be mounted on posts painted in black and white stripes. To make signs visible at night, reflectors with glass lenses could be incorporated in the red triangle and the symbols on warning signs. Motorists saw these as reflected points of light forming a silhouette. The Committee reported in 1933 (the Maybury Report), and its recommendations were given effect by The Traffic Signs (Size, Colour and Type) Provisional Regulations, 1933. Consequences In 1934, the Road Traffic Acts and Regulations handbook was published. This also clarified direction and distance signage, which remained in that form until 1964. This was the end of non-standard permanent signs being erected by motoring clubs, such as the black and yellow vitreous enamel AA signs (although they continued to place temporary direction signs). While the RSAC had ceased erecting signs, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) had begun to do so to the official specification (save for the inclusion of the RAC badge). , Argyll Road Traffic Act 1934 After the Road Traffic Act 1930 had removed completely the speed limit on cars weighing less than 2½ tons, pedestrian fatalities increased, especially in built-up areas. The Road Traffic Act 1934 reintroduced a speed limit in built-up areas, setting it at 30 mph. The Act also introduced the driving test, but only for new drivers. In response to the number of pedestrian fatalities in built-up areas, the Act introduced pedestrian crossings. These were marked by two rows of studs 8' apart and accompanied by Belisha beacons on the pavement, but at this date they weren't necessarily illuminated (some yellow globes were made of metal) let alone flashed like today's current standard. In 1934, Hump Bridge was added to the warning signs, while 1935 saw the provisions of the RTA 1934 come into force. This led to introduction of three signs of great long-term significance: • Halt at Major Road Ahead • 30 mph Speed Limit • End of 30 mph Speed Limit As with Slow: Major Road Ahead, Halt at Major Road Ahead was surmounted by a red triangle within a red ring. Its plate was distinctively T-shaped. , Wirral Signs from 1935 to 1950 A graphic showing all signs commonly used in the late-1930s is here. It illustrates a blog post on the Historic England website about the history of The Highway Code. The signs were illustrated and their use reviewed in the 1944 Report of the Departmental Committee on Traffic Signs Prohibitory signs: red discs The old red-disc signs for prohibitions on classes of vehicle, especially heavy motors, remained. The plates for these were rectangular with black-on-white text. There was a new plate to apply weight restrictions and speed limits at bridges. A new colour scheme for plates − white text on a red background − was introduced to prohibit all vehicles from performing certain actions:. • No Entry: One Way Street • No Right Turn • No Left Turn Restrictions and mandatory signs: hollow red rings A hollow red ring with a plate beneath was used: • to restrict the use of the highway in accordance with a traffic order, regulation or bye-law e.g. a speed limit less than 30 mph (black-on-white portrait-format plate); • to give mandatory instructions, e.g. Turn Left (white-on-red landscape-format plate). For restrictions, the text on the plate cited the order, regulation or bye-law which imposed the restriction and gave its gist. There were two mandatory instruction plates: • Turn Left: One Way Only • Keep Left: One Way Only There was also a smaller white-on-blue Keep Left sign which was used without a hollow red ring. 30 mph speed limit: red ring border to a white disc The 30 mph speed limit sign was the first sign with a symbol inside a red border, in this case a ring. This was to become standard for speed limits after 1960 and for all red-bordered signs from 1964. The "end of speed limit" sign was identical in size and shape to the speed limit sign so that it could be placed back-to-back with it. As an informatory sign, it was black on white. It remains in use. Warnings with an instruction: red triangle inside a red ring There were two signs surmounted by a red triangle (point upwards) inside a red ring. These were both a warning and an instruction: • Halt at Major Road Ahead • Slow at Major Road Ahead Warning signs: red triangles The design of some warning signs from 1921 and the 1930 Memorandum was updated. The international Bend symbol superseded Corner and Double Corner. Other warning signs were: • Road Narrows • Narrow Bridge • Hump Bridge • Low Bridge • Roundabout • Hospital (a Maltese cross was used) • No Through Road (text only) , Lincs World War II As part of its anti-invasion preparations during World War II, the British government instructed all navigational signposts and railway station signs to be removed, in order to hinder any potential enemy ground movements. Some of the removed cast-iron signs were subsequently melted down for the war effort, while others were damaged or deteriorated during the conflict. Post-war austerity left many local authorities unable to immediately replace the missing signs, prompting larger motoring associations to embark upon a programme to erect temporary road signs. These temporary signs were not required to conform to the standardisation laid down by the government and usually displayed the motoring association's logo and colour-scheme., in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire Post-war changes 1944 Report of the Departmental Committee on Traffic Signs In February 1943, the Minister of War Transport appointed a Committee to review the system of road traffic signs and make recommendations. It reported in December 1944 but the report was not published until 1946. This included warning symbols as proposed by the Departmental Committee, including the less-tight form of the international Bend symbol. The warning signs were brought into use in 1947 by special authorisation. , Gwynedd 1949 Geneva Conference A UN World Conference of Road and Motor transport was held in Geneva in 1949. This led to the issuing of a Protocol on Road Signs and Signals which was signed by 27 nations, including most of those in Europe, but not the UK. The Protocol adopted signs based on symbols without words, including separate symbols for left- and right-handed single and double bends. The Ministry remained opposed to symbols with words and considered prohibitive the cost of replacing all road signs at a time of economic stringency. Symbol-only signs were to be recommended by the Worboys Committee in 1963. 1950 Traffic Signs Regulations The Traffic Signs (Size, Colour and Type) Regulations, 1950 largely implemented the recommendations of the 1944 Report of the Departmental Committee on Traffic Signs. The only reference to signs for bend was to validate signs with the 1926 Paris Convention bend which were already in place. The new No Entry sign came into use, along with the inversion of the triangle within the ring in the Major Road signs. No Right Turn and No Left Turn were shown beneath red discs while reduced speed limits were show beneath red rings. The text on prohibition plates was simplified and no longer cited the relevant legislation. , SurreyText-only warning signs were introduced for Single Track Road with Passing Places, Single Line Traffic and Swing Bridge. Informatory signs were added for the end of reduced speed limits. 1954 Highway Code The 1954 Highway Code was published after pedestrian crossings had acquired their zebra stripes (the first was installed in Slough in 1951) and the Belisha beacons flashed. There were four pages of coloured signs, which generally followed the 1950 Regulations but anticipated the 1957 Regulations in some respects. The 1926 Paris Convention bend had finally been consigned to history, except in the less-tight form used in the larger-format sign to show bends for a specified distance. In its place were the left- and right-handed single and double bends which the Ministry had been wanted to use in the 1933 Regulations. Speed limits below 30 mph were now shown beneath red discs rather than red rings. 1957 Traffic Signs Regulations The 1957 Regulations made design changes to many signs and simplified the text of prohibition plates. The Cross Roads sign changed from "X" to "+". Single and double bends finally appeared in regulations in the forms which the Maybury Committee of the early 1930s had wanted. The torch symbol for School became a schoolboy and girl marching off a kerb. , Somerset. Children were represented as a boy and girl playing handball by the kerb. One sign which had been considered by the wartime Departmental Committee, but rejected for lack of need, was Tram Pinch. This is where road-space is progressively reduced by a tram coming closer to the kerb. The sign was added in the Regulations, ironically when trams were fast disappearing. A photo of the sign in use in Blackpool in 1962 can be seen here. 1958-1960 Reform of Speed Limit Signs 1958 saw the introduction of 40 mph speed limits on certain, mostly dual-carriageway, roads in London. A distinctive new sign was used, resulting in three distinct formats of speed limit sign. In 1960, order was imposed: henceforth all speed limit signs were to be of the format first used in 1935 for 30 mph signs. This differed from the UN Protocol sign only in the font used. Manufacture of traffic signs Early road signs were usually cast iron, but this was increasingly displaced by cast aluminium in the 1930s. Cast signs were designed to be maintained by being repainted with the raised lettering and symbol easily picked out by an untrained hand. An alternative to casting and painting was vitreous enamelled sheet iron or steel.(as with the AA and RAC signs) In the 1950s cast signs were quickly displaced by sheet metal (usually aluminium) which could be embossed to simulate casting. Library, London. The embossed letters across the central band which had been black were painted white after Worboys. Later, sheet metal signs were coated with adhesive plastics, which could be made reflective, famously by Scotchlite. Such signs had become almost universal by the reforms of the early 1960s. Direction signs to 1963 Pre-Worboys direction signs can occasionally be seen.. Only a handful of these pre-1963 signs still exist. 1960s reforms The major reform of UK road signage to better reflect European practice happened in two stages. The first was associated with the first motorway construction project and the development of a signage system for it by the Anderson Committee of 1957. Although it was additional to the existing signage, it set several benchmarks that were developed under the Worboys Committee of 1963 that was largely responsible for the road signage system effected from 1964, which is still current. Until Worboys, the most notable difference between Continental European and UK signs was the use of symbols without text wherever possible, eliminating language and making the signs international. UK signs (other than the newer speed limit signs) had two parts: the shape at top and the plate beneath, while Continental signs had the symbol within the shape. The Worboys Committee recommended that the Continental practice was adopted in the UK. The 'New Traffic Signs' of 1964 were part of the most comprehensive reformation of the UK streetscape ever. Unlike previous government efforts to regulate signage, which tended to be cumulative, Worboys argued a modernist position of starting from a clean slate, with all previous signs being deemed obsolete and subject to total and systematic replacement. As a result, local authorities were charged with massive resignage programmes. Order and Prohibition signs were almost all replaced within a couple of years, with the warning and direction signs taking longer. Few pre-1964 warning signs survived more than about ten years; those which survive today tend to be in obscure and remote locations. More direction signs have survived as their replacement was not deemed essential. Some have now become part of local heritage and are expensively preserved. The design of traffic signs currently in use was mainly developed in the late 1950s and the early 1960s. Additional colour-coding on direction signs was introduced in the mid-1980s. There were three major steps in the development of the system. • The Anderson Committee established the motorway signing system. • The Worboys Committee reformed signing for existing all-purpose roads. • The Guildford Rules introduced features to indicate different categories of route. 1957-1962: Anderson Committee In 1957, a government committee was formed to design signs for the new motorway network. A system was needed that could be easily read at high speed. Colin Anderson, chairman of P&O, was appointed chairman; T. G. Usborne, of the Ministry of Transport, had charge of proceedings. Two graphic designers were commissioned to design the system of signage: Jock Kinneir and his assistant (and later business partner) Margaret Calvert. The new signs were first used on the Preston bypass in 1958. These were the signs allocated to motorways by the Anderson Committee in 1962. They were replaced in 1975. 1963: Worboys Committee The UK government formed another committee in 1963 to review signage on all British roads. It was chaired by Sir Walter Worboys of Imperial Chemical Industries. The result was a document that defined traffic signing in Britain, the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD). It was first introduced on 1 January 1965 but has been updated many times since. It is comparable with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in the United States. The TSRGD is a Statutory Instrument that prescribes the sign faces and permitted variants that may be used on UK roads. The TSRGD is supported by the Traffic Signs Manual (TSM), which consists of eight separately-published chapters which provide "the codes to be followed in the use, siting, and illumination of signs both on all-purpose roads and motorways. It also covers temporary signs for use in connection with road works, in an emergency by the police, and temporary route signing by motoring organisations and highway authorities." 1994: Guildford Rules To eliminate sign clutter in the mid-1980s, a colour-coding system was developed to indicate different route types on a single sign. The system, also adopted in Ireland, became known as Guildford Rules, after trials in Guildford, Surrey. In July 1994, the system was officially adopted across the United Kingdom by Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/94, The Design and Use of Directional Informatory Signs. This LTN superseded designs laid out in the 1981 TSRGD and Circular Roads 7/75. The Guildford Rules are still referred to for guidance on direction sign implementation, as the Department for Transport has not published Chapter 2 'Informatory signs' for the Traffic Signs Manual, covering direction signs as of June 2025. ==Design==

in Swindon incorporating mini-roundabouts into signage. (The correct method, introduced in the 1994 TSRGD, is to use a black disc with a central white dot for each mini-roundabout.) This peculiarity is common in Wiltshire. Detailed guidelines govern road signs in the United Kingdom. The basic units of measurement used by sign designers and typographers are the 'x-height' (the height of the lower case letter 'x') and the 'stroke width' (sw) (4 sw = 1 x-height). The sizes of borders, symbols and arrows and the spacing and layout of the sign face are expressed in sw, so that all the elements remain in proportion. The x-height of a sign is dictated mainly by the speed of traffic approaching it; hence x-heights are common on motorways, whereas parking signs are mostly at or x-height. Shape Almost all signs have rounded corners. File:Traffic-signs-manual-chapter-3-diagram 602 (2008).svg| File:Traffic signs manual-chapter-4-diagram 557 (2008).svg| File:Traffic signs manual-chapter-4-diagram 557x1 (2008).svg| File:Traffic-signs-manual-chapter-3-diagram 601-1 (2008).svg| File:Traffic-signs-manual-chapter-3-diagram 608 (2008).svg| Units of measurement The United Kingdom uses mostly imperial units on road signs for distance measurements and speed limits. Vehicle weight limits are signed only in metric (TSRGD 1981) but older signs with height, width and length restrictions may show metric units in addition to imperial. For distances only miles and yards are used. From March 2015, all new height, width and length restrictions must have dual metric-imperial units. Whilst yards are used on signs, the DfT's TSM (Traffic Signs Manual) generally places temporary road work distance signs at their respective places in metres (within an allowed 10% tolerance), meaning a temporary road sign indicating actually indicates . Colours Three colour combinations are used on Worboys direction signs depending upon the category of the route. All roads are categorised as either motorways (white on blue), primary routes (white on dark green with yellow route numbers), or non-primary routes (black on white). TSRGD 1994 also prescribed a system of white-on-brown direction signs for tourist and recreational attractions. TSRGD 2002 updated this and introduced a system of black-on-yellow signs for roadworks. TSRGD 2016 is the current version in force. On Advance Direction Signs, as introduced under the Guildford Rules, the background colour indicates the category of route on which it is located. For ease of reference, the main colour-coding rules may be summarised as below: The colour-coding for panels on signs may be summarised as below: Typefaces Two typefaces are specified for British road signs: Transport and Motorway. Transport is a mixed-case font and is used for all text on fixed permanent signs except route numbers on motorway signs. Bilingual signs were permitted by special authorisation after 1965, and in 1972 the Bowen Committee recommended that they should be provided systematically throughout Wales. A small number of multilingual signs exist in the UK on major roads that leave major ports (such as the Port of Dover). They give the UK standard speed limits and remind drivers to drive on the left, in English, French, and German. Multilingual 'no stopping' signs exist in several locations on the M25. Another example of multilingual signs in the UK are for Escape Lanes (or Runaway truck ramps) warning not to block the escape lane in English, French, German and Spanish. In the Scottish Highlands and Islands, many road signs have Scottish Gaelic in green or orange, in addition to English in black. This is part of the Gaelic language revival encouraged by many, including the Scottish Government and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. Retroreflection Road signs in the UK must be retroreflective in order for drivers to read them at night. There are three commonly used grades of materials used: • Class 1 (engineering grade) is a low-performance glass bead product, it was the first reflective material used on the UK network and invented by 3M. Today in the UK it is used only for street nameplates and parking signs. • Class 2 (high-intensity) is generally a microprismatic product which uses truncated cube corners to return light to the driver. It is commonly used for directional signs or less important regulatory signs. There are also high-intensity glass bead products that meet this class. • Class 3 (diamond grade) is a high end microprismatic product for important signs, those on high-speed roads and in areas of ambient lighting where a driver may be distracted by the light clutter. Class 3 can be divided into two divisions; 3A for long distance and 3B for short distance. Currently, the only product that performs to these levels is Diamond Grade DG3. ==Categorisation==

Warning signs The importance of a warning sign is emphasised by the red border around its edge and the triangular shape. Some warning signs do not have a red border like sharp deviation. The priority of traffic through the junction is indicated by the broader line. Signs shown below exclude low bridges, railway and tramway level crossings, bus and pedal cycle facilities and road works. File:UK traffic sign 501.svg|STOP or GIVE WAY ahead File:UK traffic sign 502.svg|Plate use with "STOP" triangle to give the distance to STOP line File:UK traffic sign 503.svg|Plate used with "GIVE WAY" triangle to give the distance to GIVE WAY line File:UK traffic sign 504.1 (variant 1).svg|Crossroads File:UK traffic sign 505.1 (left).svg|T-junction File:UK traffic sign 506.1 (variant 1, right).svg|Side road on right File:UK traffic sign 507.1 (variant 1, right).svg|Staggered junction File:UK traffic sign 508.1.svg|Traffic merges from the left File:UK traffic sign 509.1.svg|Traffic merges onto the main carriageway, from left File:UK traffic sign 510.svg|Roundabout File:UK traffic sign 511.svg|Plate used with warning signs where a reduction in speed is necessary File:UK traffic sign 512 (right).svg|Bend to right File:UK traffic sign 512.1 (right).svg|Junction on a bend File:UK traffic sign 512.2 (right).svg|Junction on a bend File:UK traffic sign 512.3 (right).svg|Crossroads on a bend File:UK traffic sign 513 (left).svg|Double bend first to the left File:UK traffic sign 513.1.svg|Plate used with "roundabout" or "bend" signs File:UK traffic sign 513.2 (30 mph).svg|Advisory speed limit in miles per hour File:UK traffic sign 515 (left).svg|Sharp deviation of route to the left File:UK traffic sign 516.svg|Road narrows on both sides File:UK traffic sign 517 (right).svg|Road narrows on the right File:UK traffic sign 518.svg|Single file traffic in each direction File:UK traffic sign 519.svg|Road wide enough for only one line of vehicles File:UK traffic sign 520.svg|End of dual carriageway File:UK traffic sign 521.svg|Two-way traffic File:UK traffic sign 522.svg|Two-way traffic on route crossing ahead File:UK traffic sign 523.1.svg|Steep hill downwards (10% is equivalent to 1:10) File:UK traffic sign 524.1.svg|Steep hill upwards (20% is equivalent to 1:5) File:UK traffic sign 525.svg|Plates used with "steep hill" signs File:UK traffic sign 526.svg|Plates used with "steep hill" signs File:UK traffic sign 527.svg|Plates used with "steep hill" signs File:UK traffic sign 528.svg|Hump bridge File:UK traffic sign 529.svg|Opening or swing bridge File:UK traffic sign 529.1.svg|Tunnel File:UK traffic sign 543.svg|Traffic signals ahead File:UK traffic sign 543.1.svg|Plate used with traffic signals ahead sign to indicate part-time traffic signals File:UK traffic sign 543 + 543.1.svg|Part time traffic signals ahead File:UK traffic sign 544.svg|Zebra crossing File:UK traffic sign 544.1.svg|Pedestrians ahead File:UK traffic sign 544.2.svg|Frail pedestrians likely to cross File:UK traffic sign 545.svg|Children File:UK traffic sign 546.svg|"School" plate used with the children sign File:UK traffic sign 547.1.svg|"School patrol" plate used with the children sign File:UK traffic sign 547.2.svg|"Playground" plate used with the children sign File:UK traffic sign 547.3.svg|Pedestrians in road for distance shown File:UK traffic sign 547.4 (variant 1).svg|Disabled pedestrians. File:UK traffic sign 547.7 (variant 1).svg|"Disabled children" plate used with the children sign File:UK traffic sign 548.svg|Cattle File:UK traffic sign 548.1.svg|Plate used with "cattle" to indicate supervised cattle crossing ahead File:UK traffic sign 549.svg|Sheep File:UK traffic sign 550.svg|Wild horses or ponies File:UK traffic sign 550.1.svg|Accompanied horses or ponies likely to be in or crossing the road File:UK traffic sign 550.2.svg|Horse-drawn vehicles likely to be in the road File:UK traffic sign 551.svg|Wild animals File:UK traffic sign 551.1.svg|Migratory toad crossing File:UK traffic sign 551.2.svg|Wildfowl File:UK traffic sign 551.3.svg|Small wild animals likely to be in the road File:UK traffic sign 552.svg|Cattle grid File:UK traffic sign 553.svg|Plate used with "cattle grid" for indication of bypass for horse-drawn vehicles and animals File:UK traffic sign 553.1.svg|Agricultural vehicles File:UK traffic sign 553.2.svg|"Farm traffic" plate File:UK traffic sign 554.svg|Worded warning File:UK traffic sign 554.1.svg|Try brakes after crossing a ford or before descending a steep hill File:UK traffic sign 554.2.svg|Ice or Snowdrifts File:UK traffic sign 554.3.svg|Plate used with "ice" File:UK traffic sign 555.svg|Quayside or river bank File:UK traffic sign 555.1.svg|Water course alongside road File:UK traffic sign 556.svg|Uneven road File:UK traffic sign 556.1.svg|Soft verges File:UK traffic sign 556.2.svg|Plate used with "soft verges" for distance shown File:UK traffic sign 557.svg|Slippery road File:UK traffic sign 557.1.svg|Hump or series of humps File:UK traffic sign 557.2.svg|Distance for which humps extend File:UK traffic sign 557.3.svg|Direction to and distance for which humps extend File:UK traffic sign 557.4.svg|Direction and distance to hump ahead File:UK traffic sign 558.svg|Low-flying aircraft or sudden aircraft noise File:UK traffic sign 558.1.svg|Low-flying helicopters or sudden helicopter noise File:UK traffic sign 558.2.svg|Gliders likely File:UK traffic sign 559 (left).svg|Risk of falling or fallen rocks File:UK traffic sign 562.svg|Other danger ahead File:UK traffic sign 563.1.svg|Fire station ahead, STOP when lights show File:UK traffic sign 570.svg|Distance over which hazard extends File:UK traffic sign 572.svg|Distance to hazard File:UK traffic sign 573.svg|Distance and direction to hazard File:UK traffic sign 574.svg|Area infected by animal disease File:UK traffic sign 575.svg|Oncoming traffic will be in the middle of the road File:UK traffic sign 581.svg|Side winds File:UK traffic sign 582.svg|Slow-moving military vehicles likely to be in or crossing the road File:UK traffic sign 583.svg|Slow-moving vehicles ahead File:UK traffic sign 583.1.svg|Plate for "slow-moving vehicles" to show distance over which slow lorries extends File:UK traffic sign 584.svg|Traffic queues likely ahead File:UK traffic sign 584.1.svg|"Queues likely" plate Hazard plates The exclamation mark warning sign requires a plate indicating the specific hazard. This plate can read many possible texts; all of which are shown below. File:UK traffic sign 563.svg|Accident File:UK traffic sign 563V2.svg|Blasting File:UK traffic sign 563V3.svg|Blind summit File:UK traffic sign 563V5.svg|Dust cloud File:UK traffic sign 563V6.svg|Fallen tree File:UK traffic sign 563V8.svg|Frost damage File:UK traffic sign 563V9.svg|Hidden dip File:UK traffic sign 563V10.svg|Overhead cable repairs File:UK traffic sign 563V12.svg|Road liable to flooding File:UK traffic sign 563V14.svg|Smoke Regulatory signs Signs in circular red borders are prohibitive, whether or not they also have a diagonal red line. Circular blue signs mainly give a positive (mandatory) instruction. Such circular signs may be accompanied by, or placed on, a rectangular plate (information) that provides details of the prohibition or instruction; for example, waiting and loading plates and zone entry signs. 'Stop' signs (octagonal) and 'give way' signs (inverted triangle) are the two notable exceptions, the distinctive shapes being recognisable even if the face is obscured by dirt or snow. File:UK traffic sign 601.1.svg|Stop before crossing the transverse line on the road and ensure the way is clear before entering a major road File:UK traffic sign 602.svg|Give way to traffic on the major road (English Language Only) File:UK traffic sign 602 (Wales).svg|Give way to traffic on the major road (English and Welsh Language) File:UK traffic sign 616.svg|No Entry for vehicular traffic File:UK traffic sign 617.svg|All vehicles prohibited except pedal cycles being pushed by hand File:UK traffic sign 618.1B.svg|Information plate used in addition to previous sign File:UK traffic sign 618.svg|Plate for "vehicles prohibited", all vehicles prohibited from 'Play Street' during the period indicated except for access File:UK traffic sign 619.svg|Motor vehicles prohibited. File:UK traffic sign 619.1.svg|Motor vehicles except solo motorcycles prohibited. File:UK traffic sign 619.2.svg|Solo motorcycles prohibited. File:UK traffic sign 622.7.svg|Towed caravans prohibited File:UK traffic sign 625.1.svg|Pedestrians prohibited File:UK traffic sign 622.6.svg|Ridden or accompanied horses prohibited File:UK traffic sign 622.5.svg|Horse-drawn vehicles prohibited. File:UK traffic sign 622.4 (variant 1).svg|Articulated vehicles prohibited File:UK traffic sign 622.1A.svg|Goods vehicles exceeding an unladen weight of 7.5 t prohibited. File:UK traffic sign 622.2.svg|End of prohibition of goods vehicles exceeding the maximum unladen weight indicated in a previous sign File:UK traffic sign 629.1 (variant 2).svg|Vehicles exceeding length indicated prohibited (metric). File:UK traffic sign 629.1 (variant 1).svg|Vehicles exceeding length indicated prohibited (imperial). File:UK traffic sign 622.8.svg|Vehicles carrying explosives (such as fireworks) prohibited. This sign is not actually in the regulations but separately approved by the DfT. File:UK traffic sign 622.9 (variant 1).svg|Additional plate required on "prohibited: vehicles carrying explosives" sign because the sign is not included in the TSRGD File:Road sign informing vehicles carrying dangerous goods shouldn't go in the tunnel.jpg|Vehicles carrying dangerous goods with the restriction code indicated by the sign are prohibited from the tunnel. File:UK traffic sign 629A.svg|Vehicles exceeding width indicated prohibited (imperial and metric). File:UK traffic sign 629.2A.svg|Vehicles exceeding height indicated prohibited (imperial and metric) File:UK traffic sign 626.2A (variant 1b, 33t).svg|Vehicles exceeding a gross weight of 33 t prohibited from crossing the bridge or structure. File:UK traffic sign 620.svg|Exception plate for allowing access to premises where there is no other route. File:UK traffic sign 620.1.svg|Except for loading and unloading by goods vehicles File:UK traffic sign 632.svg|No overtaking File:UK traffic sign 615.svg|Priority must be given to vehicles from the opposite direction File:UK traffic sign 615.1.svg|Priority must be given to vehicles from the opposite direction (supplementary panel) File:UK traffic sign 614.svg|No U-turns for vehicular traffic File:UK traffic sign 612.svg|No right turn for vehicular traffic File:UK traffic sign 613.svg|No left turn for vehicular traffic File:UK traffic sign 605.2.svg|Stop, children crossing ahead (Handheld sign) File:UK traffic sign 633.svg|Stop before crossing, Police ahead File:UK traffic sign 651.svg|Prohibitions which apply to a decorative area which is not part of the public highway. File:UK traffic sign 606 (left).svg|Vehicular traffic must turn left File:UK traffic sign 609 (left).svg|Vehicular traffic must turn ahead in the direction indicated by the arrow File:UK traffic sign 610 (left).svg|Vehicular traffic passing the sign must keep to the left of the sign File:UK traffic sign 608.svg|Dual carriageway Plate File:UK traffic sign 607.svg|One-way plate File:UK traffic sign 611.1.svg|Mini-roundabout; vehicles must give way to traffic from the right and pass to the left of the central markings unless physically unable to do so File:UK traffic sign 636.svg|No waiting File:UK traffic sign 642.svg|Clearway, no stopping File:UK traffic sign 652.svg|One-way traffic File:UK traffic sign 663.svg|Controlled Parking Zone File:UK traffic sign 664.svg|End of controlled or voucher parking zone Speed limit signs The United Kingdom national speed limit for cars and motorcycles is on a motorway and dual carriageway, and on a single carriageway road. In urban areas where there is electric street lighting the speed limit is unless otherwise signed. File:UK traffic sign 671.svg|National speed limit applies File:UK traffic sign 672.svg|Minimum speed limit of File:UK traffic sign 673.svg|End of minimum speed limit File:UK traffic sign 674.svg|Entrance to a per hour speed limit zone File:UK traffic sign 675.svg|End of zone File:UK traffic sign 878.svg|Area in which cameras are used to enforce the speed limit regulations File:UK traffic sign 878.1 (v2).svg|Average speed check File:UK traffic sign 879.svg|Speed Camera File:UK traffic sign 880.svg|Speed camera ahead with reminder of speed limit File:National-speed-limit-sign-uk.svg|National speed limits File:Northern Ireland mph speed limits.svg|Speed limits are in miles per hour (Northern Ireland only) File:UK traffic sign 670V20.svg|alt=|Maximum speed File:UK traffic sign 670V30.svg|alt=|Maximum speed File:UK traffic sign 670V40.svg|alt=|Maximum speed File:UK traffic sign 670V50.svg|alt=|Maximum speed File:UK traffic sign 670V60.svg|alt=|Maximum speed Low bridge signs Bridges with a clearance of less than are normally signed. Signs were formerly only in feet and inches, but from 2015 new or replacement signs must contain both imperial and metric measurements. The signs used at a low bridge depend on the type above the road. If a beam bridge with a horizontal clearance, the roundel is used and the limit is a prohibition. However, if the bridge is an arch over the road, warning signs are used as the height varies across the width of the carriageway. Bridges particularly at risk from strikes may have a variable message sign that is activated by high vehicles passing through an infra-red beam. When the sign is activated four amber lamps flash, the top pair alternating with the bottom pair. File:UK traffic sign 530A.svg|Warning of maximum headroom of arch bridge/overhanging structure some distance ahead (sign also used at the bridge itself) File:UK traffic sign 530.1.svg|Supplementary plate informing height limit warning is of an overhanging building File:UK traffic sign 531.1 (variant 2).svg|Warning of maximum headroom of arch bridge directly ahead (metric) File:UK traffic sign 531.1 (variant 1).svg|Warning of maximum headroom of arch bridge directly ahead (imperial) File:UK traffic sign 531.2.svg|Supplementary plate used with arch bridge warning signs Level crossing signs Some level crossings in the United Kingdom do not have gates or barriers. These crossings will have several signs posted on approach and at the crossing. File:UK traffic sign 770.svg|Level crossing with gate or barrier ahead File:UK traffic sign 771.svg|Level crossing without gate or barrier ahead File:UK traffic sign 772.svg|Trams likely to be crossing ahead File:UK traffic sign 773.svg|Warning of light signals at a level crossing ahead (the sign may also be used at a lifting bridge, fire station or airfield) File:UK traffic sign 779.svg|Electrified overhead cable ahead File:UK traffic sign 780A.svg|Supplementary plate informing height of overhead cables at level crossing ahead File:UK traffic sign 782.svg|Risk of grounding at level crossing ahead File:UK traffic sign 783 (variant 1).svg|Information sign for large vehicles informing to phone at automatic level crossing File:UK traffic sign 784.1 (variant 1).svg|Information sign for very large vehicles to phone before crossing railway File:UK traffic sign 787 (variant 1).svg|Telephone at level crossing File:UK traffic sign 788 (variant 1).svg|Direction to telephone at level crossing File:UK traffic sign 789.svg|Countdown marker to level crossing (3) File:UK traffic sign 789.1.svg|Countdown marker to level crossing (2) File:UK traffic sign 789.2.svg|Countdown marker to level crossing (1) File:UK traffic sign 775.svg|Supplementary plate warning drivers to not block the level crossing File:UK traffic sign 777 (variant 1).svg|Supplementary plate at multiple track automatic level crossings warning of a second train File:UK traffic sign 774.svg|Single track level crossings without gates or barriers The Private Crossings (Signs and Barriers) Regulations 2023 Additional signs for level crossings used on private roads and paths are laid down in The Private Crossings (Signs and Barriers) Regulations 2023. File:UK 2023 Private Crossing Sign 101.svg|Warning sign for a level crossing with a user operated gate ahead File:UK 2023 Private Crossing Sign 109.svg|Stop look and listen sign File:UK private crossing sign 106.svg|Target for crossing gate File:UK 2023 Private Crossing Sign 102a.svg|Sign for use at a crossing where the railway or tramway is equipped with overhead electric wires File:UK 2023 Private Crossing Sign 102b.svg|Sign for use at a crossing where the track has an electric live rail or rails The Private Crossings (Signs and Barriers) Regulations 1996 Additional signs for level crossings used on private roads and paths are laid down in The Private Crossings (Signs and Barriers) Regulations 1996. File:UK private crossing sign 101.svg|Warning sign for a non-vehicular crossing File:UK private crossing sign 102.svg|Instruction sign for a vehicular crossing without a telephone File:UK private crossing sign 106.svg|Target for crossing gate File:UK private crossing sign 116.svg|Sign for use at a crossing where the railway or tramway is equipped with overhead electric wires File:UK private crossing sign 117.svg|Sign for use at a crossing where the track has an electric live rail or rails File:UK private crossing sign 118.svg|Supplementary sign for use with sign shown in Diagram 103 or 107, where the crossing is used for animal traffic File:UK private crossing sign 113.svg|Sign for use at crossings where there are overhead electric wires, and a roadway approach has a steep slope, and a long load, such as farming machinery may strike the wire. File:UK private crossing sign 119.svg|Instructions to horseriders at a crossing where the railway or tramway is equipped with overhead electric wires Bus and cycle signs Some roads and pavements are shared with cyclists and buses. The word "local" on the bus symbol means the only buses that may use the lane are those running a local service. Where the word "local" is not shown, the lane may be used by any vehicle designed to carry more than eight passengers, excluding the driver, and local buses. Solo motorcycles may use the lane where the motorcycle symbol is shown on the signs. Other vehicles may enter and stop in a bus lane to load and unload unless signs alongside the lane indicate otherwise. File:UK traffic sign 952.svg|Buses prohibited. File:UK traffic sign 951.svg|Riding of pedal cycles prohibited. File:UK traffic sign 950.svg|Cyclists crossing or cycle route ahead File:UK traffic sign 956.svg|Shared route for pedal cycles and pedestrians only File:UK traffic sign 957.svg|Segregated track and path for pedal cycles and pedestrians only File:UK traffic sign 955.svg|Route for use by pedal cycles only File:UK traffic sign 953.1.svg|Route for use by tramcars only File:UK traffic sign 953.1V.svg|Route for use by buses and tramcars only File:UK traffic sign 960.svg|Contra-flow bus lane File:UK traffic sign 967.svg|Route recommended for pedal cycles on the main carriageway of a road File:UK traffic sign 964.svg|End of bus lane File:UK traffic sign 2603.svg|Junction ahead leading to a parking place for pedal cycles File:UK traffic sign 959.1.svg|With flow cycle lane File:UK traffic sign 963T.svg|Bus lane with traffic proceeding from both ways (reminder for pedestrians) File:UK traffic sign 958.1.svg|With-flow cycle lane ahead File:UK traffic sign 661.1VB.svg|Parking place for buses only during the times shown File:UK traffic sign 963.2.svg|Contra-flow bus lane which pedal cycles may also use with traffic approaching from the right (reminder for pedestrians) Pedestrian zone signs Areas such as high streets and shopping areas may be signed as "pedestrian zones". Restrictions are detailed on zone entry signs and repeater plates. The entry signs may indicate that buses, taxis, disabled badge holders or permit holders may enter the zone. Examples of zone entry signs include: File:UK traffic sign 618.3.svg|Entry to and waiting in pedestrian zone restricted except for loading during the period File:UK traffic sign 618.4.svg|End of restrictions associated with a pedestrian zone File:UK traffic sign 637.2V.svg|Waiting restriction repeater signs within the pedestrian zone File:Traffic-signs-manual-chapter-3-diagram 618-3A-1 (2008).png|No vehicles allowed in pedestrian zone except for lorries during the period with no waiting at any time File:Traffic-signs-manual-chapter-3-diagram 618-2-2 (2008).svg|No motor vehicles allowed in pedestrian zone Mondays to Saturdays except for loading from lorries between 7am & 11am and between 4pm and 8pm Loading bays and Parking signs Both signs and road markings indicate waiting restrictions. On-street parking places may be designated for a particular class of vehicle (e.g. solo motorcycles or car) or a specific type of user (e.g. permit holders or disabled badge holders). Parking may be free or paid for (e.g. "pay and display" or parking meters). There may be a time limit on the period of stay and a minimum time before returning to a particular parking place. Where a plate does not indicate the days of the week, the restrictions apply at the same times on every day, including Sunday. Where the time of day is not shown, the controls apply for 24 hours. If a bank holiday falls on a day when the controls are in operation, the controls apply in the normal way unless the plate states that they do not. Special restrictions may apply on days when a large event is being held. File:UK traffic sign 639.svg|Waiting prohibited except for loading and unloading during the period indicated File:UK traffic sign 639R.svg|Waiting prohibited except for loading and unloading during the period and in the direction indicated File:UK traffic sign 640.4.svg|Waiting prohibited in designated off-highway loading area during the period indicated File:UK traffic sign 638.svg|Continuous prohibition on loading and unloading File:UK traffic sign 660.4.svg|Bay reserved for loading and unloading only File:UK traffic sign 640 directions.svg|Waiting prohibited in the direction indicated (upper panel), and loading and unloading prohibited in the direction indicated (lower panel) File:UK traffic sign 801.svg|Parking place File:UK traffic sign 661A.svg|Parking place reserved for disabled badge holders only File:UK traffic sign 661.1.svg|Parking for all vehicles, with restrictions on length of waiting time and return period (not necessarily free, though the sign must state if not free) File:UK traffic sign 660.5.svg|Parking place reserved for voucher parking during the period indicated File:UK traffic sign 2507.svg|Direction to a parking place available only on the day specified File:UK traffic sign 667.svg|Vehicles may be parked partially on the verge or footway File:UK traffic sign 668.svg|Vehicles may be parked wholly on the verge or footway File:UK traffic sign 667.2.svg|End of an area where vehicles may be parked partially on the verge or footway File:UK traffic sign 668.2.svg|End of an area where vehicles may be parked wholly on the verge or footway Motorway signs For use on busy motorways and other wide roads where verge mounted signs would be frequently obstructed by other traffic. An advance direction sign (ADS) File:UK traffic sign 2930.svg|End of motorway regulations, including the national speed limit in 1 mile File:UK traffic sign 2901.svg|Start of motorway regulations, including the national speed limit File:UK traffic sign 2910.svg|Number of route reached from a motorway exit road File:UK traffic sign 2918.svg| to the next motorway service area File:UK traffic sign 2912.svg|Junction ahead with another motorway File:UK traffic sign 2932.svg|Entrance to motorway service area, or similar facility within the length of a motorway where motorway regulations cease to apply File:UK traffic sign 2903.svg|Motorway junction ahead, displaying the route number and destination reached by taking this route File:UK traffic sign 2911.svg|Route number of the motorway with destinations and distances to places along or reached from that route File:UK traffic sign 2902.svg|Direction to a motorway at the junction shown, indicating route number and destination reached File:UK traffic sign 2921.svg|Entrance to a motorway service area File:UK traffic sign 2917V.svg|Availability of motorway service areas ahead with distances File:UK traffic sign 2917.svg|Availability of motorway service areas ahead with distances and names of operators File:UK traffic sign 2919.3 (Unbranded).svg|Approach sign to motorway service area listing operator and six franchises available at the stop. File:UK traffic sign 2919.3 (Branded).svg|Approach sign to motorway service area listing operator and six franchises available at the stop. These are the only signs allowed to display brand logos. File:UK traffic sign 2906.svg|Leave the Motorway for A38 to Mansfield and Matlock (via. A615). Continue for the North, Leeds and Sheffield. File:UK traffic sign 868M.svg|Additional traffic lane joining from the left ahead File:UK traffic sign Tiredness Can Kill.svg|Suggestion for motorists to pull over at the next motorway services if they have been driving for a long time. Motorway Signals Motorway conditions File:UK_traffic_sign_6003.jpg|Leave motorway at next exit File:UK traffic sign 6006.9.jpg|Risk of Fog ahead. Proceed with caution File:UK traffic sign 6006.8.jpg|Risk of Ice ahead. Proceed with caution File:UK traffic sign 6006.10.jpg|End of temporary restrictions Temporary Speed Advisories File:UK_traffic_sign_6001.jpg|Temporary Speed advised of due to prevailing traffic or weather conditions. Lane Restrictions File:UK traffic sign 6006.5.jpg|Lane 2 is closed ahead. Use lane 1 and proceed with caution. File:UK traffic sign 6006.1.jpg|Lane 2 and 3 closed ahead. Use lane 1 and proceed with caution. File:UK traffic sign 6006.7.jpg|Lane 1 closed. Use lanes 2, 3 and 4, Proceed with caution Motorway Closed File:UK traffic sign 6031.1.jpg|Do not enter the traffic lane directly below. File:UK traffic sign 6006.4.jpg|Both lanes closed. Do not enter the motorway when the red lamps are flashing in pairs from side to side File:UK traffic sign 6006.2.jpg|All 3 lanes closed. Do not enter the motorway when the red lamps are flashing in pairs from side to side File:UK traffic sign 6006.6.jpg|All 4 lanes closed. Do not enter the motorway when the red lamps are flashing in pairs from side to side Directional road signs The term "directional sign" covers both Advance Direction Signs (ADS), placed on the approach to a junction, On minor roads a simple black on yellow sign with an arrow and the word 'Diversion' is used, as in the last sign below. File:EDR Symbol - Solid Circle.svg|Solid circle - Emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic File:EDR Symbol - Solid Triangle.svg|Solid triangle - Emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic File:EDR Symbol - Hollow Square.svg|Hollow square - Emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic File:EDR Symbol - Hollow Diamond.svg|Hollow diamond - Emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic File:UK traffic sign 2716.svg|Diversion trigger sign - Main road closed, follow diversion to arrive at the same location File:UK traffic sign 2704V.svg|For triangle diversion, turn right File:UK traffic sign 2702L.svg|Diversion sign on minor roads or for road works starting to left. Information signs Informational signs are usually rectangular and generally blue with white text. File:UK traffic sign 810-L.svg|One-way traffic File:UK traffic sign 611.svg|Pass either side to reach the same destination File:UK traffic sign 811.svg|Traffic has priority over vehicles coming from the opposite direction File:UK traffic sign 816.svg|No through road File:UK traffic sign 820V2.svg|Unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles File:UK traffic sign 820V4.svg|Unsuitable for long vehicles File:UK traffic sign 820.1.svg|No hard shoulder for File:UK traffic sign 818.4.svg|Location of weight restriction ahead with indication of an alternative route File:UK traffic sign 822.svg|Passing place on a narrow road Roadworks and temporary signs Roadworks are normally signalled with a triangular, red-bordered warning format is used to indicate that there are works ahead. The graphic is of a man digging. Within the roadworks, diversions and other instructions to drivers are normally given on yellow signs with black script. File:UK traffic sign 7001.svg|Road works File:UK traffic sign 7009.svg|Loose chippings File:UK traffic sign 7221.svg|Lanes bend ahead File:UK traffic sign 7292.svg|Restrictions apply. No vehicles over width shown File:UK traffic sign 2706.svg|Diversion for motorists travelling to destination File:UK traffic sign 7294.svg|Temporary Advisory speed limit in miles per hour File:UK traffic sign 832.6.svg|Get in Lane. HGV use left lane, all other vehicles use right lane File:UK traffic sign 829.2.svg|Police accident Street name signs Legally street name signs are not defined as traffic signs in the United Kingdom; this therefore gives authorities flexibility on the design and placement of them. They can be fixed to a signpost, wall, lamp column or building. The text can be in many different fonts but normally either the Transport typeface used on road signs or the serif font designed by David Kindersley. In many areas, the sign will also show the name of the local authority, its coat of arms, or part of the street's postcode. Location identifiers Numbered location markers of one type or another are used to identify specific locations along a road. Historically, milestones were used, but since the early 20th century they fell into disuse. However, for administrative and maintenance purposes, distance marker posts and driver location signs have been erected on motorways and certain dual carriageways. The numbers on distance marker posts are embedded into emergency roadside telephone numbers and are used by the emergency services to pinpoint incidents. The advent of the mobile phone meant that drivers were not accessing location information embedded into motorway emergency telephone systems, and since 2007 driver location signs have been erected on many motorways. These contain important information about the location and carriageway direction. Traffic lights File:UK traffic signal - Standard Aspects.svg|Standard traffic light, with three lamps File:UK traffic signal - No Left Turn.svg|A standard traffic light with a supplemental 'no left turn' sign attached File:UK traffic signal - Red and Tram Proceed.svg|A traffic light with attached tram signal lamp, indicating proceed to trams. File:UK traffic signal - Bike Signal.svg|A traffic light intended for bicycles File:UK traffic signal - Wig-wag Signal.svg|'Wig-wag' signal (Common at level crossings, fire and ambulance stations) File:UK pedestrian signal.svg|Pedestrian light Icon File:UK traffic sign symbol S15 (1).svg|Animal-drawn vehicles File:UK traffic sign symbol S15 (2).svg|Animal-drawn vehicles File:UK traffic sign symbol S4.svg|Elderly people File:UK traffic sign symbol S13.svg|Frogs File:UK traffic sign symbol S8.svg|Horses File:UK traffic sign symbol S67.svg|Small wild animals File:UK traffic sign symbol S17.svg|Caravans File:UK traffic sign symbol S10.svg|Cattle File:UK traffic sign symbol S9.svg|Horses File:UK traffic sign symbol S12.svg|Wild animals File:UK traffic sign symbol S5.svg|Children File:UK traffic sign symbol S7.svg|Roadworks File:UK traffic sign symbol S18.svg|Quayside or riverbank File:UK traffic sign symbol S16.svg|Cars File:UK traffic sign symbol S14.svg|Ducks File:UK traffic sign symbol S11.svg|Sheep File:UK traffic sign symbol S3.svg|Pedestrians File:UK traffic sign symbol S2.svg|Pedestrians File:UK traffic sign symbol S19 (1).svg|Motor vehicles, except motorcycles File:UK traffic sign symbol S19 (2).svg|Motor vehicles, except motorcycles File:Uk roadsign ferry.svg|Ferry Obsolete Post-Worboys File:UK traffic sign 504 (1965–1975).svg|Crossroads ahead (1965–1975) File:UK traffic sign 505 (1965–1975).svg|T-junction ahead (1965–1975) File:UK traffic sign 506-R (1965–1975).svg|Side road ahead (1965–1975) File:UK traffic sign 507-L-R (1965–1975).svg|Staggered crossroads ahead (1965–1975) File:UK traffic sign 508-L (1965–1994).svg|Traffic merges from the left (1965–1994) File:UK traffic sign 509-L (1965–1994).svg|Traffic merges onto the main carriageway (1965–1994) File:UK traffic sign 514 (1965–1975).svg|Series of bends ahead (1965–1975). File:Hong Kong road sign 219 (1 in 5).svg|alt=Steep hill upwards ahead (1965–1975, replaced with % gradient)|Steep hill upwards ahead (1965–1975, replaced with % gradient) File:Hong Kong road sign 218 (1 in 5).svg|alt=Steep hill downwards ahead (1965–1975, replaced with % gradient)|Steep hill downwards ahead (1965–1975, replaced with % gradient) File:Bangladesh road sign B47 B.svg|Multiple-track level crossing without gate or barrier (1981–1994) File:UK traffic sign 545 (1965–2016).svg|Children (1965–2016) File:UK traffic sign 601 (1965–1975).svg|Stop (1965–1975) File:UK traffic sign 605.1.svg|Stop - children crossing (1965–1994) File:UK traffic sign 622 (1965–1975).svg|Lorries prohibited (1965–1975) File:UK traffic sign 622.8 (1967).png|No vehicles laden with inflammable liquids (1967) File:UK traffic sign 629.svg|Vehicles exceeding width indicated prohibited (1965–2016, defunct imperial only sign, new signs must show both metric and imperial) File:UK traffic sign 952 (1965–1975).svg|Buses and coaches prohibited (1965–1975) File:UK traffic sign 554-Fog (1975–1994).svg|Foggy conditions may exist (1975–1994) File:UK traffic sign 554-Ice (1975–1994).svg|Icy conditions may exist (1975–1994) File:UK traffic sign 554-Snowdrifts (1975–1994).svg|Snowdrifts may exist (1975–1994) File:Mauritius Road Signs - Warning Sign - Right-hand lane of a 2-lane 1-way road closed.svg|Right-hand lane of a 2 lane dual carriageway closed ahead (1975–1981) File:UK traffic sign 564.5 (1975-1994).svg|Change of carriageway ahead (1975–1994) File:UK traffic sign 629.2.svg|Vehicles exceeding height indicated prohibited (1975–2016, defunct imperial only sign, new signs must show both metric and imperial) File:UK traffic sign 626 (1965–1981).svg|Vehicles and loads exceeding weight in tons indicated prohibited (1965–1981) File:UK traffic sign 626.1 (1981–1994).svg|Vehicles and loads exceeding weight in tonnes indicated prohibited (1981–1994) File:UK traffic sign 622.1A (1994–2011).svg|Vehicles exceeding the indicated unladen weight in tonnes prohibited (1994–2011, replaced with lower-case t) File:UK traffic sign 626.2AV2 (1994–2011).svg|Vehicles exceeding an indicated gross weight prohibited from crossing bridge (1994–2011, replaced with lower-case t) Pre-Worboys File:Pre-Worboy - No Entry - 1955.svg|No Entry File:Pre-Worboys - No Right Turn - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|No Right Turn File:Pre-Worboys - Cross Roads - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Cross Roads File:Pre-Worboys - Turn Left - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Turn Left File:Pre-Worboys - Keep Left - 1944.svg|Keep Left File:Pre-Worboys - Road Works Ahead - 1944.svg|Road Works Ahead File:Pre-Worboys - Ford - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Ford File:Pre-Worboys - Approach Direction Sign (Diagram 78) - 1944.svg|Approach Direction Sign File:Pre-Worboys - Direction Sign at Junction (Diagram 93) - 1944.svg|Junction Direction Sign File:Pre-Worboy - No Waiting - 1944.svg|No Waiting File:Pre-Worboys - No Entry - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|No Entry File:Pre-Worboy - No Cycling - 1955.svg|No Cycling File:Pre-Worboy - Speed Limit - 1944.svg|Speed Limit File:Pre-Worboy - National Speed Limit Applies - 1944.svg|National Speed Limit Applies File:Pre-Worboys - Parking - 1944.svg|Parking File:Pre-Worboys - Cross Roads - Complete Assembly - 1955.svg|Cross Roads File:Pre-Worboys - Speed Limit - Non Built Up Areas - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Speed Limit except Built-up Areas File:Pre-Worboys - Turn Right - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Turn Right File:Pre-Worboys - Roundabout - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Roundabout File:Pre-Worboys - No Left Turn - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|No Left Turn File:Pre-Worboys - Signals Ahead - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Signals Ahead File:Pre-Worboys - Two Way Traffic - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Two Way Traffic File:Pre-Worboys - Crossing No Gates - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Level Crossing with No Gates File:Pre-Worboy - Halt at Major Road Ahead - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Halt at major road ahead File:Pre-Worboys -Slow Major Road Ahead - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Slow, major road ahead File:Pre-Worboys - Prohibited to All Motor Vehicles - Complete Assembly - 1944.svg|Motor vehicles prohibited ==Northern Ireland==

The designs of road signs in Great Britain as prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) apply specifically to England, Scotland and Wales. These regulations do not extend to Northern Ireland. Traffic signs in Northern Ireland are prescribed by The Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and are administered by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Northern Ireland signs are broadly the same those in Great Britain, although changes made in Great Britain are often not made in Northern Ireland at the same time. One example is the series of bends ahead sign, which was removed from TSRGD in 1975 but only removed from the Northern Ireland regulations in 1979. ==Crown dependencies==

The designs of road signs as prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) do not extend to other territories that come under the jurisdiction of the Crown. Road signs in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are under the jurisdiction of their local legislatures. Although the policy in these territories is to align their road signs with those prescribed in the TSRGD, small variations may be seen. Isle of Man The Tynwald (Isle of Man Parliament), through its Traffic Signs (Application) Regulations 2003, explicitly included Part I of the TSRGD into Manx law, but not the other parts of that legislation. One of the consequences of this partial incorporation is that while in England and Wales speed limit signs had to appear on both sides of a carriageway until 2016, this was not necessary for the Isle of Man. Jersey In Jersey, road signs and markings are regulated by the Traffic Signs (Jersey) Order 1968. The standard bus stop road marking (Diagram 1025) is painted white on Jersey roads, and a unique smaller bus stop marking is found at most stops, which lacks the stop cage. By Article 18, the Minister for Infrastructure may cause a yellow line to be placed transverse across a minor road. This indicates a 'give way' rule, as normally indicated by double white dashed lines elsewhere. The standard give way triangle (Diagram 1023) is painted yellow, even at approaches to white give way lines at roundabouts. Parking signage is considerably different. Unloading bays (Diagram 1018J) allow loading and unloading of goods and are painted yellow with yellow upright signs. Otherwise parking signs indicate 'paycard' or 'Disc' limit restrictions. A single yellow line (Diagram 1017) indicates a 24-hour waiting restriction. At the end of all one-way roads, the marking 'NO ENTRY' is placed to ban entry for vehicles. The Z-bend sign (Diagram 514) is prescribed and still used. The end of a cycle track can be indicated by a blue cycle track sign with a red stripe. In Jersey, traffic signals follow the French pattern, omitting the red-amber phase. In Jersey, there are less onerous requirements for the signage of speed limits than the UK. Repeater signs are never used for , and are sometimes used for where there are street lights (which would not be necessary in the UK). Furthermore, there is no requirement that speed limit signs appear on both sides of the carriageway (consequently they often only appear on one). Guernsey Weight restriction signs in Guernsey use hundredweight ("cwt") as a unit rather than the tonne, although one cwt was redefined as exactly 50.8023 kg in 1991. Guernsey devolves road markings and signs to Alderney and Sark. Sark does not permit road transport, aside from cycles and farm vehicles. Alderney has some different road markings, but the signs are broadly the same as Guernsey. ==Overseas territories==

The Overseas territories have much more autonomy regarding their use of signs and these can vary quite significantly from those used in Great Britain. Akrotiri and Dhekelia Road signs in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, on Cyprus, are controlled by the Ministry of Defence and maintain the same designs as the Republic of Cyprus. and all limit signs have this marked. Longer distances are typically in kilometres, however shorter distances are signed in yards. Height and width sign restrictions are in both imperial units and metric. No entry signs have "NO ENTRY" written in black down the centre as was often used in the UK prior to 1965. Goods vehicles are prohibited by class rather than weight: a list of prohibited vehicle classes will usually accompany a generic "no lorries" sign. Bermuda still uses the Z-bend sign, phased out in the UK since 1975. British Indian Ocean Territory The British Indian Ocean Territory's road signs are modelled on those of the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Cayman Islands The road signs of the Cayman Islands are similar to the UK's; the only main difference is some signs have allowable alternatives from the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, mainly for parking restriction signs. The warning sign for dead ends is one of the only signs to follow the United States standard in the Road Code, although other US-influenced signs are listed for use near schools. In practice, the Transport typeface is not used and signs are written in all caps. Pedestrian crossings are often marked with a US-style sign instead of a Belisha beacon. Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands' road signs are similar to the UK. There is an additional road sign used in the Falklands to denote a minefield. Gibraltar The road signs of Gibraltar are similar to the UK, with some signs being reversed to reflect driving on the opposite side of the road. There are some warning signs specific to Gibraltar, mainly to do with the unique wildlife of the territory. Speed limits and distances are in metric, in keeping with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. However, height and width clearance warning and regulatory signs are both in imperial and metric. Montserrat The road signs of Montserrat are similar to those of the UK. No entry signs have "NO ENTRY" written in red down the centre, similar to the design used in the Bahamas. Pitcairn Island Road transport in Pitcairn is primarily by quad bike. Signs are modelled on those used in New Zealand, although they are not kept in step with New Zealand updates. Pitcairn uses a unique slow down sign seen in neither the UK nor New Zealand – a red octagon with "SLOW DOWN" in white. Roads are labelled in a similar way to the United States and Canada. Road signs are similar to those of the UK, although older MUTCD-influenced signs, including US-style speed limit signs, have not been actively replaced and are still seen. Brown signs are sometimes erroneously used instead of green to denote primary routes. Officially, green is used for primary routes and white for local routes, as in the UK. There are no traffic lights in the Turks and Caicos Islands, most intersections are roundabouts. Virgin Islands The road signs of the Virgin Islands are similar in design to those used in the United States. Warning sign style ==See also==