Understanding road traffic signs is a crucial part of being a motorist but sometimes the signs can get a little bit confusing. Here’s a run-down of 8 confusing signs and their meanings.
- The picture of the car apparently going over water…
We all know that cars can’t go over water, so what on earth does this sign mean to tell us? Well, basically, it means there’s a water course by the side of the road – such as a small stream or poorly controlled puddle.
- The two humps in the road…
This a pretty funny-looking sign, but one that’s still generally easy to figure out; it means that there are likely to be bumps in the road, or the road is excessively uneven and drivers should take care when driving along it.
- The two areas pointing in opposite directions with a blue background…
Huh? What’s this saying? Should I go left, should I go right, or does it mean I shouldn’t go through he middle? Hmm. This sign, although undoubtedly confusing and obscure, is actually a pretty helpful screen; it isn’t a mandatory instruction for motorists, it just means you can go in either direction and end up in the same place.
- The same deal – two arrows pointing in opposite directions – but this time with a red-edged white background
Red means danger, and red, triangular traffic signs should be adhered to – but what does this one mean? Very simply, it means that traffic is likely to come at you from both sides ahead, so be aware, and look both ways.
- The two lines narrowing in the middle in a red-edged white background
Let’s be honest, this sign doesn’t really look like anything; what it’s actually telling us, though, is that the road ahead gets narrower in part on both sides of the road and may cause a potential issue for drivers.
- Black line through a white circle
Can’t see any speed limit signs and aren’t sure what speed to do? Keep an eye for this sign in the vicinity; it means that the National Speed limit (generally 30mph unless you’re on a single carriageway – in which case it would be 60mph – or a dual carriageway/motorway where the limit is 70mph) applies. It’s a really common sign, but it’s one that drivers forget to look out for and occasionally forget what it stands for.
- The red-edged white circle
You’d be forgiven for looking at this one and thinking someone had simply forgotten to put the actual sign in the middle of it, but this is a sign in itself. It means no vehicles, and although it is often accompanied by a sign that explains exactly why no vehicles are permitted, or what the set restrictions on the vehicles are, it can just present as a blank, red-edged circle. Stay away.
- The exploding car in a red-edged circle
Don’t worry if you look at this one and think it means your car is at risk of spontaneously combusting if you travel down the road it’s signalling to but it actually means ‘no vehicles carrying explosives permitted on this road’.