Interpreting and understanding road signs is a key part of driving in the UK. And there are plenty of them - the Highway Code lists hundreds of different signs, each with their own meaning.
Price comparison service Compare the Market put people's knowledge to the test by seeing how many common road signs they could identify. The research found that, on average, less than half - 47% - were matched correctly to their meaning.
The Department for Transport (DfT) says understanding traffic signs is "essential", not just for learners but "experienced professional drivers" too. "New road signs conveying new messages and in new formats are introduced from time to time, so drivers or riders who passed their driving test a few years ago need to keep up to date or run the risk of failing to understand or comply with recently introduced signs," says the DfT.
Read on below to see the most commonly misunderstood road signs.
Meaning: Emergency diversion route for motorway and other main road traffic
Over four in five (83%) people identified this sign incorrectly, with the majority assuming they either hadn’t been provided with the right answer (49%) or that it was a sign for a ring road (15%).
Meaning: Risk of grounding
Fewer than a third (28%) of people managed to correctly guess this sign, with the majority of drivers (55%) thinking it was used to signal an uneven road.
Meaning: No waiting
Just one third (33%) of drivers were able to successfully match this sign with its meaning, with another third assuming it actually meant no stopping.
Meaning: Ring road
Almost two thirds (61%) of drivers identified this sign incorrectly. Some thought it meant risk of grounding (11%) while others thought it was a sign for an emergency diversion route for the motorway (6%).
Answer: Tourist attraction
Only 41% of people were able to correctly identify the sign for tourist attractions. Given the image, it’s perhaps not surprising that over half (51%) of people believed this was a sign for a railway station.
Julie Daniels from Compare the Market said: "Having driving theory knowledge is just as important as having practical experience, as it allows drivers to demonstrate safe and legal driving behaviours, while protecting themselves and other road users from potential accidents.
"It’s not uncommon for motorists to forget common driving rules or signs over time, or to be unaware of new rules that may have come into force since passing their theory test, so it’s important for all drivers to refresh and update their essential driving knowledge to keep themselves and other road users safe.”
All data came from a survey of 2,014 UK drivers aged 17 and over. The survey was conducted in February 2023.
