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Highway Code

Highway Code, Traffic signs (part 2)

Traffic signs. Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

  • Traffic signs
  • Advisory rule
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

Signs with blue circles but no red border mostly give positive instruction.

Ahead only Turn left ahead (right if symbol reversed) Turn left (right if symbol reversed) Keep left (right if symbol reversed) Vehicles may pass either side to reach same destination Mini-roundabout (roundabout circulation - give way to vehicles from the immediate right) Route to be used by pedal cycles only Segregated pedal cycle and pedestrian route Minimum speed End of minimum speed Buses and cycles only Trams only Pedestrian crossing point over tramway One-way traffic (note: compare circular ‘Ahead only’ sign) With-flow bus and cycle lane Contra-flow bus lane With-flow pedal cycle lane

Warning signs

Mostly triangular

Distance to ‘STOP’ line ahead Dual carriageway ends Road narrows on right (left if symbol reversed) Road narrows on both sides Distance to ‘Give Way’ line ahead Crossroads Junction on bend ahead T-junction with priority over vehicles from the right Staggered junction Traffic merging from left ahead The priority through route is indicated by the broader line. Double bend first to left (symbol may be reversed) Bend to right (or left if symbol reversed) Roundabout Uneven road Plate below some signs Two-way traffic crosses one-way road Two-way traffic straight ahead Opening or swing bridge ahead Low-flying aircraft or sudden aircraft noise Falling or fallen rocks Traffic signals not in use Traffic signals Slippery road Steep hill downwards Steep hill upwards Gradients may be shown as a ratio i.e. 20% = 1:5 Tunnel ahead Trams crossing ahead Level crossing with barrier or gate ahead Level crossing without barrier or gate ahead Level crossing without barrier School crossing patrol ahead (some signs have amber lights which flash when crossings are in use) Frail (or blind or disabled if shown) pedestrians likely to cross road ahead Pedestrians in road ahead Zebra crossing Overhead electric cable; plate indicates maximum height of vehicles which can pass safely Available width of headroom indicated Sharp deviation of route to left (or right if chevrons reversed) Light signals ahead at level crossing, airfield or bridge Miniature warning lights at level crossings Cattle Wild animals Wild horses or ponies Accompanied horses or ponies Cycle route ahead Risk of ice Traffic queues likely ahead Distance over which road humps extend Other danger; plate indicates nature of danger Soft verges Side winds Hump bridge Worded warning sign Quayside or river bank Risk of grounding

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, this guidance comes down to one idea: ahead only Turn left ahead (right if symbol reversed) Turn left (right if symbol reversed) Keep left (right if symbol reversed) Vehicles may pass either side to reach same destination Mini-roundabout… It is advice rather than law, but examiners and the courts still treat it as the expected standard of safe driving.

It belongs to the traffic signs part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the traffic signs part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is advisory rather than legal, no one will fine you for the rule alone, but ignoring it can still count against you in a careless-driving case, and it will cost you faults on the test. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why this rule matters on the road

Signs, signals and markings are the shared language of the road. Reading them accurately and signalling clearly is how drivers coordinate without ever speaking, miss the message and the coordination breaks down.

Common faults examiners record

In the traffic signs part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

  • Signalling too late, too early, or when no signal is needed.
  • Missing a sign or road marking and acting on the wrong information.
  • Failing to cancel a signal after a manoeuvre.

On the day

Imagine a sign appearing on the approach to a junction. Applying Highway Code, Traffic signs (part 2) means reading it early, acting on it in good time, lane, speed, signal, and cancelling any signal once the manoeuvre is complete. The examiner notes whether you respond to the information or miss it.

Quick checklist

  • Read signs and markings early and act in good time.
  • Signal clearly, only when it helps someone.
  • Cancel the signal once the manoeuvre is done.

More from Traffic signs

Related Highway Code rules

Highway Code, Traffic signs (part 2), your questions

Ahead only Turn left ahead (right if symbol reversed) Turn left (right if symbol reversed) Keep left (right if symbol reversed) Vehicles may pass either side to reach same destination Mini-roundabout… It is advisory guidance rather than law, but you are still expected to follow it and an examiner can mark a fault if you do not.

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