Last week we discussed the various shaped signs, this week we are going to look specifically at signs which tell us what to do. These signs have a blue background and are mostly circular to indicate an order.
The circular signs with a single arrow tell us which way to proceed at the end of a road for example or pass an obstacle in the road such as cones in road works or pedestrian refuges.
The circular sign with three arrows on are used at mini roundabouts and tell you which way to go around it.
Not so common in the UK are the minimum speed limit signs which is sometimes accompanied by a maximum speed limit sign, where the minimum speed comes to an end a red diagonal line is across the sign.
There are many signs associated with cyclists, the circular signs show where a route should be used by cyclists only or cyclists and pedestrians only. These might not seem relevant as a car driver however they can alert you to a higher number of cyclists in the area you are driving. The rectangular sign with a cycle is for a cycle lane which flows in the same direction as the traffic, these lanes can have a broken or solid white—you must not drive or park in a cycle lane during its times of operation.
Last but not least is the rectangular One Way sign to tell traffic to proceed along the road in a single direction. That’s all for this week, here are some links to reinforce your learning:
The Highway Code: Rule 140 – Cycle Lanes
Know Your Road Signs eBook (PDF)
General information on road signs from The Highway Code
