Signs giving directions and other information

These help you find and follow the road you want. They can also direct you to the nearest railway station, car park, or other facility or attraction. The colours of these signs vary with the type of road. For example

• motorways – blue with white letters and border
• primary routes, except motorways – green with white letters and border, route numbers shown in yellow
• other routes – white with black letters and black border.

All these roads may also display tourist signs, which are brown with white letters and border.

Signs giving directions on primary routes

Advance direction signs

You’ll see these before you reach the junction. They enable you to decide which direction to take and to prepare yourself.

Direction signs at the junction

These show you the route to take as you reach the junction.

Route confirmatory signs

Positioned after the junction, these confirm which road you’re on. These signs also tell you places and distances on your route. If the route number is in brackets, it means that the road leads to that route.

Information signs

These tell you where to find parking places, telephones, camping sites, etc, or give information about such things as no through roads.

Signs for traffic diversions

In an emergency, when it’s necessary to close a section of motorway or other main road to traffic, a temporary sign may advise drivers to follow a diversion route. This route guides traffic around the closed section, bringing it back onto the same road further along its length.

To help drivers follow the route, black symbols on yellow patches may be permanently displayed on existing direction signs, including motorway signs. An initial sign will alert road users to the closure, then the symbol is shown alongside the route that drivers should follow.

A number of different symbols maybe used, as in some places there may be more than one diversion operating. The range of symbols used is shown here.

Drivers and riders should follow signs showing the appropriate symbol. These may be displayed on separate signs, or included on direction signs, giving the number of the road to follow