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Highway Code

Highway Code, Traffic signs (part 3)

Traffic signs. Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

  • Traffic signs
  • Advisory rule
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

Direction signs

Mostly rectangular

Signs on motorways - blue backgrounds

At a junction leading directly into a motorway (junction number may be shown on a black background) On approaches to junctions (junction number on black background) Route confirmatory sign after junction Downward pointing arrows mean ‘Get in lane’ The left-hand lane leads to a different destination from the other lanes. The panel with the inclined arrow indicates the destinations which can be reached by leaving the motorway at the next junction

Signs on primary routes - green backgrounds

Blue panels indicate that the motorway starts at the junction ahead. Motorways shown in brackets can also be reached along the route indicated. White panels indicate local or non-primary routes leading from the junction ahead. Brown panels show the route to tourist attractions. The name of the junction may be shown at the top of the sign. The aircraft symbol indicates the route to an airport. A symbol may be included to warn of a hazard or restriction along that route. On approaches to junctions At the junction Route confirmatory sign after junction On approaches to junctions On approach to a junction in Wales (bilingual) Primary route forming part of a ring road Primary route forming part of a ring road

Signs on non-primary and local routes - black borders

Green panels indicate that the primary route starts at the junction ahead. Route numbers on a blue background show the direction to a motorway. Route numbers on a green background show the direction to a primary route. On approaches to junctions On approaches to junctions At the junction Direction to toilets with access for the disabled

Other direction signs

Picnic site Ancient monument in the care of English Heritage Direction to a car park Tourist attraction Direction to camping and caravan site Advisory route for lorries Route for pedal cycles forming part of a network Recommended route for pedal cycles to place shown Route for pedestrians Symbols showing emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic Symbols showing emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic Symbols showing emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic Symbols showing emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic Diversion route

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: at a junction leading directly into a motorway (junction number may be shown on a black background) On approaches to junctions (junction number on black background) Route confirmatory sign after junc… 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 3) 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 3), your questions

At a junction leading directly into a motorway (junction number may be shown on a black background) On approaches to junctions (junction number on black background) Route confirmatory sign after junc… 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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