Beware of double meanings
A recent case in Suffolk highlighted the complexity of ensuring that road signs are fit for purpose. Children and those driving on the UK’s roads while visiting from abroad reported confusion and consternation over a sign reading ‘Cats Eyes Removed.’
To those who’ve learned to drive in the UK, the sign’s temporary presence (in combination with the resurfacing work that was taking place) was nothing remarkable – it merely warned that the usual reflective markers in the centre of the road would not be visible for a while. However, several of those who saw the sign and hadn’t learned to drive in the UK were shocked by the blatant boast of animal cruelty.
People who were distressed by the sign included an American tourist, who had to do a double take of the sign in question, then ask a local about the meaning of it, and a five-year-old girl who got upset about the welfare of her pet cat.
The most misinterpreted road signs
While the Suffolk case is perhaps something of an oddity, there are plenty of road signs in the UK that drivers regularly misinterpret. Given that road signs exist to give drivers the information they need to drive safely, this highlights the need for drivers to keep up their knowledge of the UK’s road signs, even after they’ve got through the rigours of the driving theory test.
According to Vehicle Exports, the top five most misinterpreted road signs are:
The national speed limit sign
Many drivers believe this sign means that there is no speed limit. However, it actually means that it’s the start of a national speed limit area. The result is that many drivers are unaware of the maximum speed at which they are supposed to be travelling.
The uneven road sign
The uneven road sign is to warn drivers to take care due to the uneven road surface ahead. However, many drivers think the sign means there are speed bumps up ahead, resulting in them not slowing down as they’re waiting to see the bumps before braking.
The road narrowing sign
Many drivers think that the sign that warns of a narrowing road on both sides is in fact showing the end of a dual carriageway. This can lead to confusion about what speed to travel at in order to stay safe, as well as drivers seeking to merge into the left-hand lane for no reason.
The no motor vehicles sign
One can’t help but wonder why this sign wasn’t created with a line through the car and motorbike that are pictured. The result of this is that vehicles can end up on roads where they shouldn’t be, putting the cyclists and pedestrians who are permitted on the road in danger.
The minimum speed limit sign
It’s not unusual for drivers to confuse a minimum speed limit sign with a maximum speed limit sign. This encourages them to drive more slowly, when they should be going at least a little faster, causing confusion amongst other road users.
More uncommon mistakes
Other road signs that drivers misinterpret are usually those that they don’t encounter very often. These include signs found around level crossings, those relating to steam trains, the aeroplane road sign (which is in place to warn drivers to expect sudden noise from aircraft passing overhead) and signs for the attention of motorcyclists, e.g. specific parking spots.
Some of these signs pose more risks than others when drivers misinterpret them. Nevertheless, people who use the roads regularly should try to be as clued up as possible about what the signs that they encounter mean – and how to react to particular ones to ensure that they are driving as safely as possible.
Understanding road signs is an important part of being able to drive safely. They often warn drivers of hazards up ahead, and confusion about what signs are trying to portray can have devastating consequences.
Were you familiar with the meaning of all of the road signs pictured above? Should drivers be retested regularly to ensure that their road sign recognition skills remain tip top? Leave a comment to share your views.
Bring back the hand signals and make learner drivers do a FULL driving test like I had to do in 1960 when you were not allowed ONE mistake
Prior to the 1990’s the number of “minor” driving faults was not limited – currently drivers have to make no more than 15 “minor” faults and NO serious or dangerous faults to pass their driving test
I would happily suggest to anyone that passed a driving test in the 1960’s to contact DVSA and take the current test to see if their driving is still up to the required standard.
or ask any ADI to conduct at mock test (much cheaper).
Totally agree but just taking at test of any sort is only part of the remedy. Having just retired after 38yrs as an ADI I think that driver attitude needs to be addressed. To many drivers forget they are in charge of a lethal machine and they think they are totally protected in a crash!
Remove the airbag in the steering wheel & replace it with a spike.
Good idea
I passed my driving test in the 60s. I also passed my (then Psv ) in the 70s to take it further I passed my motorcycle test in 2000 , my hgv in 2002, and forklift truck in 2004 . Think I qualify to be quite a competent driver and at 69 I’m one of the oldies !! So , CHARLES, being a female to boot, think I also have a fair idea on vehicle width!
do not forget it is now a 2 part test, the theory must be passed before gong on the the 40 minute practical pass rate currently 47%
Really is some merit to the thought Richard… whoever, with the speed cars are driven these days I’d far rather drivers kept both hands on the wheel!!
Sadly the current driving test is a joke. They only test a few of the skills required.
Absolutely Richard
Me too
I believe we should be re-tested every few years, including motorway driving … the police’s campaign for middle lane drivers has failed abysmally, so short of bringing back public information films a re-test would help get the rules of the road into people’s heads.
The price of second hand cars would drop dramatically, due to a glut of them coming onto the market due to very high failure rate on retest.
So is that good or bad then ?
That’s a bit over the top. . .
We test every vehicle every year. Vehicle defects are responsible for 5% of accidents.
We test drivers once a lifetime and driver errors are responsible for 90% of accidents.
No such thing as a driver error accident which is why they are referred to as collisions and not accidents.
It’s a good idea that we should be retested. Every ten years should do it.
Doesn’t the DMV in the US require drivers to renew their license after a number of years ? I’m pretty sure that they administer an eye exam at the office whilst you get it renewed. I don’t know if it’s only specific states that this applies to or if it’s throughout the entire US. This may be something we could adopt.
This is also done in south America – but the reason is that you have to pay for the re-test, basically another road tax.
Start with you then, Brian?
Every one of my colleagues (all male in the 20/45 age group) declared they would not be able to pass their test if they had to retake it! Me, at 69 would expect to pass my test as if I didn’t , I shouldn’t be driving!
Have been along the M4 to Bristol countless times without seeing a single police car. Loads of centre lane hogs and also lots of slalom drivers weaving at 90mph+ across the 3 lanes. Laws wthout enforcement are a waste of time. Let the police forces keep a good percentages of the fines.
The police are to busy taking children’s pet dogs of then saying they are dangerous, it is the police who are dangerous by the way they treat the owners.
Yes but , children and pet dogs can’t read road signs and that is why they are not allowed to drive [yet] !
This country loves to make laws, loves to brake the laws and authorities love not to enforce the law.
All laws and rules are made to be broken If no one broke them there would be no need for a law at all
Great Bishbut, I’ll hold you to that next time someone breaks the law at the expense of your or a loved one’s safety!
Actually, to my knowledge, the saying is rules are made to be broken but laws are made to be enforced!
was brake a Freudian slip or did you mean break
What police corruption??
If any West Country police are reading this can they take action? I have witnessed the M4 slaloming. It is scary and extremely dangerous
As of 30 September 2014, there were 45.5 million active driving records in GB. How on earth could you retest 45.5 million drivers every three years………….
Just first of all test those who have committed a motoring offence including parking offences on a road then slowly retest every other driver with a stricter test aikido the advanced test taken by some
Online tests.
Tory police cuts. What me officer?
Keep politics out of it what have other political parties done ?
I cheated, in that 5 years ago I helped my son revise for his driving test. Some of the road signs I had never seen. For example black numbers (20) on a white background in a diamond shaped sign. I had never seen the speed limit sign for trams! The cost and time to take a motorcycle and car test is quite extraordinary. There are no where near enough examiners or test facilities to to enable retesting or the population. Even retesting all 70 year olds was scrapped as being too difficult.
I’ve said for years that the financial cost of the driving licence is ridiculously low. If it were raised to the same amount as, say, the TV licence, £150 per annum, people might begin to realise that driving is not a right, it’s a privilege. If that money were ring-fenced, the infrastructure could then be set up to retest EVERY driver every few years. Anyone NOT passing their retest is then grounded until they DO pass. I’m convinced that the overall driving standard would rise and the number of accidents would fall. If drivers could lose their licences more easily, I’m certain that more care would be taken.
Well Mr Donaldson, don’t you think the motorist is taxed enough with the cost of Road fund tax, tax on fuel, parking charges etc. Do you hold a UK driving licence ? Or are you just a pedestrian who uses public transport ?
Yes, and then your £150 per annum driving licence fee could be ring-fenced – to be given away in foreign aid, much like the road fund tax, tax on fuel etc., just like Jake says.
The only thing that will improve driving standards is more enforcement. The rule book goes out the window with most people once they pass the test. Without police actively patrolling the roads there is no body to catch you and take your licence away.
Income from motoring taxes has a history of being raided! Churchill got his hands on the Road Fund Licencr money in1933 and it has gone on ever since! Ring fencing won’t happen
There isn’t a politician born who would ring fence money raised from road users to be used on the roads to actually be used on the roads. If there was there would be no potholes!
Many years ago it was £44 billion the Government got from all sources motoring. Now it must be around £50 Billion. The state of roads & pavements now is the worst I have ever seen. Milking this revenue for other purposes is wrong and killing the “Golden Goose” Motorist in this way needs putting right.
The no cycling sign where the motor vehicles are replaced with a bicycle is just as confusing as the no motor vehicles sign. Replace the vehicles with a 30 and it informs drivers of the speed limit that they can legally dive at.
Road sign knowledge, could be added to the written test as a single sided paper with
four tick box options. A picture of a road sign is placed beside the four option boxes.
The person is required to select which statement is correct in relation to box A,B,C or D.
Not only does it test their knowledge it educates them at the same time. A pass rate of perhaps 52% could be the target.
pass rate of less than 90% would be pathetic
To pass the theory test questions you have to score 43 out of 50 which is 86%
Unfortunately once passed they don’t tell you the questions you get wrong, only the category.
I don’t want people on the roads that only know HALF of what they should !
So its a bit like a lottery then ?If you have multiple answer questions, then even a 3 year old could pass the test just by guessing.You either know the answer or you don’t…its not a TV show.
I knew all the signs but but very often I drive on roads where others obviously don’t!! … or they choose to ignore for their own benefit….VERY good idea to re-test…. agree with “cars in wrong lanes” comment… I very regularly drive the M25 and see this: it causes no end of under-taking to take place as drivers get frustrated and leads to lunatic driving maneuvers …. and whilst we’re at it, signs like lanes, which are painted large ON the road i.e. on roundabout approaches and on the roundabout itself!! Anybody know the ones who don’t even see these???
It is not a retest people need it is a good kick up the arse to make the do as the law states, not as THEY want too drive but use their eyes and brain and drive as the laws say’s.
That a great idea at last.Are the Police going to perform the “kick up the arse” , or is the government going to set up a new department for that purpose I wonder ?
The kick up the arse comes when you install a dashcam and follow the rules of the road & not give way to the idiots who can’t drive. You want to come into my lane? Be prepared to explain to your insurance why you cut me up because I’m not steering out of your way nor am I slamming on just to miss you. You might get away with this crap with everyone else but do it to me & there’s a lesson you’ll learn the hard (and expensive) way.
I also have legal services on my insurance so I’ll be suing you for loads of compo to cover all future increases in my premiums as well as £50 per hour to cover the time it takes me to complete the insurance forms, put the footage onto DVD as well as including all relevant stills, pics from google earth etc etc.
And before anyone starts about how we are legally bound to avoid a collision etc, I have witnessed four events where I have stopped & offered my services and camera footage. In each case, the moron cut up or otherwise forced the innocent motorist out of the way.
> Car steered out of way, braked hard, hit kerb then railings. Moron sped off without a scratch, most likely laughing to himself.
> Car slammed on to avoid moron & skidded on the wet (greasy) road surface, spun out of control & ended upside down in a ditch. Moron sped off…
> Car steered to avoid moron straightlining a roundabout, veered straight into the path of another innocent. Moron sped off…
> Car came from lane 3 on Motorway straight onto sliproad off, directly in front of a hgv in lane 1. Hgv slammed on, dislodging most of his load of bricks (even strapped down, the bricks at the centre seemed only held in by friction) & jacknifing, closing the offramp. Moron sped off…
Without my stopping & offering my services as a reliable witness, the innocent motorists who were carved up would’ve suffered insurance wise. none of them had their own cameras & nobody else seemed to care about stopping to help.
A big problem with roundabouts these days is they are not marked out correctly. Many will tell you left lane for straight on then at the last minute, it becomes a left only turn lane, or some will direct you to a specific place in a specif lane, then lo and behold, you find you are in the wrong lane as the instructions change very last minute. I blame the councils and highways department for this. Poor planning and design!!
Roundabouts need to have dotted lanes marked. Too many folk think that their car in entitled to all three lanes, and get irate and toot, if someone comes into the nearside lane on their flank. Courtesy of course requires the new entrant to give way for leaving the roundabout to his predecessor, but once in the roundabout you and there as much as the other fellow.
Yes it’s everyone else’s fault as usual.The Roundabouts should be square shaped and not round, that would slow everyone down and get them to pay attention.
Then it wouldn’t be a roundabout. squareabout?
What about roundabouts which have 5 or 6 exits.
No amount of ‘poor markings’ allows for those who get in to a left hand lane to turn right at a roundabout. Every time, my mind boggles! Would they do that at a crossroad??
Or never look at the roundabout layout on the direction sign on approach.
Signs on the road are useful only as reminders. If you are doing 70 behind a truck, then your chances of spotting, reading marking and learning same are pretty remote.
If you were doing 70 behind a truck the chance of you reading the signs as you’d soon have rear ended it, as you’d be closing the gap between you at a minimum of 14 mph!
Big arrows approacing roudabouts are only advisory unless painted on the road it say turn left or right appropriatly
Arrows ?…I didn’t even see the Indians ! the old ones are still the best]
Look out then those pesky Indians are everywhere just ask John Whane
Do you mean John Wayne the actor?
Only advisory?
Until you ignore them & come to grief with someone who is following them & can show dashcam footage of you ignoring them as you carve up the innocent motorist.
Your insurance will then be asking you why you ignored the perfectly clear signage in the road.
Actually, it is permitted to under-take in certain situations, even on motorways. For example Rule 163 of the Highway Code says that you should stay in lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the traffic on the right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left. What the Highway Code doesn’t give however is a definition of ‘moving slowly’.
I drive a HGV, restricted to 56. I have been reported a couple of times for “dangerously” and “aggressively” undertaking. I have had plod come to my workplace to investigate. on both occasions, I was able to show footage from my dashcam showing exactly what happened. in both cases, I was sat quite happily on my limiter in L1, come across a MLH dawdling in L2 & simply drove on past in L1. in the case of the second incident, the MLH sped up to overtake, pulled in front of me then took his foot off the accelerator, dropping his speed back down to his comfort zone – 50mph (this was confirmed by the timestamp on my cam matching the timestamp on my tacho). I pulled out to overtake & as my cab just got ahead, the moron sped up to match, pinning me in L2 at a steady 56, forcing me to drop back in behind – at which point ‘our’ speed dropped to 50. On my second attempt, he, again, sped up to pin me in L2 but this time, I took advantage of another HGV up ahead. I stayed level with him and as we approached the HGV ahead, he was forced to drop his speed.
Plod said I had done nothing wrong. They (two different forces) said I had simply overtaken slower moving traffic on their inside. They also explained that there is no such thing as ‘undertaking’ in traffic but what people are referring to involves changing lanes, moving to the left, accelerating past then moving back out again. This is dangerous and reckless, they also see it as weaving in and out & this is what they will pull you for.
And what is the definition of a queue. Is this more than 1 car doing 50 mph in the middle lane of a motorway with nothing else in sight(apart from the lorry in the outside lane doing 56 mph)?
Particularly in slow moving traffic, the road markings which tell you that you are in the WRONG lane only appears when the vehicle in front moves on!
Traffic lights are also a problem if you are not familiar with an area. Two lanes: at the first set of lights they are Straight on/Left turn and Right turn only. At the next set they are Left turn only and Straight on/ Right turn!
I like the Belgian idea where virtually every junction on a main road has a roadside sign in advance of the junction making it very clear which lane is which.
Totally agree! There are many instances in my area where one roundabout has ‘left only’ marked on the highway (so close that it can’t be observed because cars waiting at the roundabout are obscuring it) ; The next roundabout, less than 500 yards ahead, then has the outer lane marked ‘right only’!
There really should be post mounted signs well ahead of the junctions, to obviate confusion (and possible accidents).
Problem is, the inside lane of the M25 is so uneven in many places due to the number of HGVs, it’s like driving over a continuous cattle grid.
If you were to read the Highway Code for the country that you are driving in there would be no confusion.
Now where and when a non resident can an cannot park signs really do need explaining. Maybe another topic one day?
The line helps colour blind people
Blind people don’t drive.
Anet is talking about colour blinness NOT blindness. 2 completely different things. Youare permitted to drive with colour blindness.
Yes you are absolutely correct…which government department do you work for,or are you in charge of just The Blindingly Obvious Ministry ?
Much as I hate to have to be forced to pay for things I don’t have choice about, a mandatory retest is a good idea. Why not simply issue a 10 year driving licence. At the end of the 10 years, if you haven’t renewed it then you lose it.
It would create a lot of new examiner jobs, remove those who develop medical conditions and increase driving standards. We all get lazy and learn bad habits.
Maybe DVSA should start by doing the job right in the first place, way to many people get behind the wheel of car as a provisional driver, with absolutely no knowledge of the rules of the road or inadequate eye site. When I learnt to drive you had to prove you knew the rules of the road and your eye site was to a standard before you were permitted to start the practical part of learning to drive.
I passed my driving test in 1979 and my daughter passed hers about three years ago. I can assure you from those experiences that it is much more difficult to pass a test today. There is a mandatory sight test, and you should demonstrate the ability to read a vehicle index plate at 21 metres. It is also necessary to pass the theory test before attempting the driving test, when I took my test after the driving you might be a handful of questions on the highway code, it is much more stringent these days.
A good level of testing won’t guarantee good driving but will definitely demonstrate what is required to drive safely, it is then up to the driver to practice those lessons learned.
I’m no saint, and was prone to ignoring speed limits in the past, but a speed awareness course sorted that one out for me, and I now try to keep within the speed limit rather than anticipate cameras. I feel that if anyone is demonstrating that they clearly fall short of the standards required they should be retested and if they fail their licence should be revoked until they achieve the standard. A driver awareness course should be made mandatory for the clockers (Central Lane Owners Club) and tailgaters as that would be self financing and maybe driving on motorways and other roads wouldn’t be so stressful.
There always has been a mandatory sight test
I believe the ‘new’ driving license is only valid for 10 years anyway (though a lot of people still don’t realise this)?
The photo id on the driving licence is only valid for 10 years, the driving licence needs to be renewed with a new photo. Section 4b tells you when you need to renew the photo.
You still have a license, your just renewing the picture.
I don’t have a picture licence.
Still got old pink paper one !
Good for you Linda. Keep it until you are 70. I did. The old licence was falling apart held together with tape but it was valid. Now everybody. Most have got away from the question. I once lived for the road. We may have joked about some sign. ie road works ahead sign man putting up umbrella, it’s going to rain. However responsible drivers kept up to date with new signs. Now 71i still refer to the latest highway code if I see a sign I haven’t seen before. For those who haven’t seen a minimum speed sign. Either you haven’t been where they exist, or you are a bad driver with bad observation skills, I hope the former. When we go to other countries, ie the USA, (reference to cat’s eyes) we are expected to be familiar with their ways. So they should learn ours if they come to our country. What an insult to think Brits remove real cat’s eye
Me too!! Why pay for yet another plastic bit of card for my wallet?!
Firstly, there is no ‘S’ in licence and secondly in the U.K. Your driving licence is valid until the age of 70. You must renew your photo every ten years.
True there is no “S” in licence WHEN IT IS A NOUN, but THERE IS WHEN IT’S A VERB! ; >)
Nobody loves a smartass!
This is really an EU backdoor way to get the UK people to carry ID cards,
BREXIT….hurra, we got there at last !!!!
Photo renewal is the ideal time to pass an eye test and have the 01 code applied if required, I thought this was about road signs and not an English lesson
No Marian the photo on your licence is only valid for ten years not the licence
Correct, but you effectively have to renew the complete licence & pay for the privilege, amount varies by the way you do it i.e. on line or by post
I didn’t know that. Am I the only one unaware of this ?
valid until your 70th then renew every 3 years
Why don’t drivers update themselves with the Highway Code regularly? VOSA could put out TVs/radio adverts informing drivers of changes so that people could buy a new one.
I agree, but they don’t, I am 72 yrs old and drive all over our country AND all over Europe, and their ( European ) road signs are a hell of a lot different to ours but I find them a little confusing odd times, but ours are the easiest to follow for us but watch on the internet what happens when you get Europeans driving over here, they haven’t a clue half of them.
Remove the varying languages, underlining the road signs and they are all the same in Europe. Mind you at times I did think, Ausfahrt, was either the biggest city in the fatherland or a timely instruction following a lengthy drive.
The same signs do not have the same meaning in every European country. The sign which means national speed limit in the UK has a much broader application in Poland, meaning “end of previous restriction”.
A regular eye test should be done as well. 3rd world countries can do it. Why not the UK
A good idea and should be enforced if you fail you lose your licence.
An offence to drive with non-corrected vision.
I’m 72 and agree that people need eye tests. I followed an old guy today who couldn’t judge gaps, kept almost stopping everytime a car came towards him. People like him that get us Santa’s a bad name Grrr.
Car with “predictive cruise control” does this protective braking for even a 73 year old the salesman told me last weekend. In this modern life even 20-20 vision will not over-ride the judgement of our vehicles!
Not so sure the ‘predictive cruise control’ would cause this kind of problem. More likely the driver’s lack of confidence.
I find that most women don’t know the width of their vehicle. The young ones can all break the speed limit….on a straight road, though. That’s down here in the South West, mind.
I find that most men only know how to drive one way…..right up the backside of anyone in front of them and if they so happen to be female – even better. What a croc of rubbish you spew Charles.
I have seen just as many MEN clog up motorways by driving in the middle lane at 70mph causing a tailback behind them, totally oblivious to the mayhem they are causing or the fact the inside lane is TOTALLY clear.
Whoever does this, male or female, young or old, is a dangerous driver, full stop. Let us stop with this sexist angle.
There are arguments against both sexes and all age groups.
For instance, it is a well known fact that younger people, mainly males, are the ones that have and/or cause the most accidents. This is because of inexperience, an overabundance of testosterone, arrogance, bravado and a sadly delusional immortality complex coupled with an inability to foresee the consequences of their actions. What they need is help to support them and understand they have a weapon of mass destruction in their hands that comes with big responsibility and huge price to pay when you do not drive with diligence.
The middle-aged, one could argue, are also arrogant in thinking they know better when making decisions on manoeuvres. But they are also under stress from work, meeting targets, an emergency with family etc. therefore are often distracted. Not to mention the invention of modern technology!!! These ones need to take extra time and learn to breathe.
This leads very nicely to the elderly population. Not all of them are dithering dimwits and as I am 52 and fast approaching this category I resent the implication that once you reach a certain age you should be written off. The elderly can cause problems because life around them moves at a much faster pace than they are/were used to. This doesn’t make them incapable.
If we all do something stupid, irrelevant of who/what we are we should be punished accordingly and let’s be honest Charles. Are you perfect? Oh of course you are….you’re a man :-)))))!
A rather long winded post, but in the main sensible enough. I was often asked in my days of driver training whether men or women, young or old etc. were better/worse. The answer was always the same – each individual decides how they want to drive and whatever their age/sex/race etc. they will go about it in their own sweet way,
Having half a dozen cars in the family, I’m a member of half a dozen owners groups on the web. Without fail, in every group, you get members excusing their speeding & desire for everyone else to go faster by telling everyone how they know their limits and they know what their cars are capable of.
What arrogance.
Do they know that 1 minute ago, the last car round that blind bend on a narrow country lane has just ploughed into the back of a horse or tractor? Or that the vehicle they are tailgating at 85 mph on the motorway is not only dripping grease from both universal joints and engine oil, but the fuse/switch controlling the brake lights has just packed in (or even switched off!)?
why should it clog up motorway if they are traveling at 70 national speed limit is 70 pull your neck in
Stevie has some valid points. What has not been mentioned is that good driving comes from experience, it is not taught. You are taught to pass a driving test which lasts no more than an hour. You then start driving on your own and that’s when you get the bad habits. Experience is learnt, the more driving you do the more you come across different scenarios from which you learn and add to your experience.
Hi Stevie!
Not possible to lanehog at 70 as it is illegal to go faster than this. So the queue behind are all the speedlimit breakers trying to save a second or two on their journey by scaring the (!) out of the rest of us.
All those numb nus mustn’t use their offsides mirror and notice a third lane? ?
I don’t advocate driving in middle lane when inside lane underused, but if the ‘inconsiderate’ driver is doing 70 then I don’t think you should be worried about them ‘slowing you down’!
Quite happy to challenge you on that one Charles
Not so sure this is an eye-related problem – more likely just rank bad driving(sometimes confidence goes and makes drivers like this behave erratically.)
The reason is that the UK is no longer a 3rd world country.The last time Tony Blair told us we were about 5th world country as I recall….but now we are not even that anymore.
Don’t forget that the majority of the former Soviet Block nations have a Zero per cent for blood alcohol level and they all drink proper drinks
The Highway Code is available on-line.
Fine for those can can do electronics.
Get a copy from a bookshop then!
So your pals did this for you then !?
You don’t have to “do” electronics to use a computer 😀
If you look around your local council or library, you may find there are free computer courses available – even for beginners; you are never too old to learn…
Probably because it used to cost a 1d. But no longer….. the discussion
Thats exactly my thoughts. Why would everyone need a re-test ??
You can subscribe to the online highway code – they notify you by text and/or email of any updates.
I think new and changes to road signs and markings should be widely advertised in papers, TV and social media for a considerable time when they are brought in, to give people a chance to see and learn them. The ones I have never been able to find out what they are, are occasional hatched lines in a fairly random shape on a road for no apparent reason. If you avoided them, which is what hatched lines mean, you would have to veer out into the middle of the road and then move over again! Weird.
The hatched lines are for just what you describe. They are traffic calming measures. It’s the cheap way of building the annoying bits of pavement that stick out and make you slow down for oncoming traffic who have the right of way. Of course people like yourself just ignore them and drive straight over the top in much the same way most people blatantly ignore all similar road markings.
I’m 71 passed my test age 18 and new the meaning of all the signs .why is it that people who keep banging on about 65 & 70 year old’s taking their test again ignore the simple fact that by far the accidents are caused by young drivers. and then to back up there misguided demand by showing 90 plus year old’s making driving errors ?
I totally agree with you Janet Warley my husband is 70 with PCV and still driving buses and cars no problems at all and we have just had a good laugh at the signs people don’t understand. They shouldn’t be on the road then. I’m with you all the way on this one
Because the majority of time spent driving in the UK is probably younger drivers?
Older people seem to cause a lot of crashes, not necessarily being in them but driving dangerously, lack of signalling, lack of attention, anything.
Saying this isn’t saying that they shouldn’t drive but there should be ‘routine refreshers’ for driving as I can imagine that when you learnt to drive, things were quite a bit different.
This is fine for people that pay attention and learn the new signs, new types of roads etc but not so fine for the people that don’t.
Not signalling? Common fault on German cars it seems. Perhaps a mass recall is needed.
Sorry but can’t agree with you on that one ! A good driver will appreciate that they have to keep on learning no matter how long they have been a driver p
I always thought the one with the flying motorbike told you there were stunt riders in town. More seriously, the “delimit” sign means 70mph on dual carriageways, 60mph on A or B roads – or 50 if you’re driving a Transit van.
…… and so many van drivers don’t know it.
And so many do. They choose to ignore it like car drivers ignore their limits. The van limits are imho unnecessary and cause cars to drive slower and make stupid or dangerous overtakes. It ruins the flow of the traffic. Modern vans are as well as if not better equipped than many cars.
Who told you that ? Anyhoo its the drivers and not the vans that have the problem.
NSL is dependent on what weight and/or class of vehicle you’re driving. On a motorway everything up to 7.5 tons can drive at 70mph unless towing when you are limited to 60mph and banned from the outside lane if there are 3 or more lanes. That is towing everything whether its a 22′ twin axle 22′ long caravan or a 4’x3′ camping trailer.
On other roads with dual carriageways the same rules apply but only upto a a certain weight which I admit I can’t remember as what I drive has a gross weight of 3500Kg and is limited to 10mph below the NSL. Trucks (LGV) and buses/coaches (PCV) have different speed laws altogether. “Transits” or other large vans (LCV) vary in gross weight so come under various rules that are too involved to list here.
I think licences should be monitored on a case by case basis and if somebody is picking up fines and tickets and/or found to be at fault in a RTC they should be assessed no matter what age they are. I also think that eye tests should be mandatory every 5 years until age 40, 3 years until 60, 2 years until 70 and anually afterwards. I’m 48 and wear glasses and have my eyes tested annually. Anybody wishing to drive past 70 should be forced to have an assessment every year. This could be done by qualified driving instructors. I’m sorry but I don’t agree people should be routinely assessed for motorway driving but they should be forced to have motorway instruction before being allowed to drive on them.
The UK driving laws are archaic and seriously need updating and more cameras installed to catch poor driving and more severe penalties issued. Anybody speeding (zero tolerance) or hogging lanes on dual carriageways should receive a one month driving ban for the first offence, 2 months for the second, 3 months for the third etc. and 3 in 3 years should be an instant 3 year ban. I had my own same day courier service for 14 years and drove 80,000-100,000 miles per annum and I received one ticket in that time and that was for driving at 35 in a 30 zone leaving a village on a country road at 4:30 am and I was accelerating as the NSL sign was 50 yards ahead of me.
LicenCe or licenSe are both correct depending on whether you’re using American or British spelling. As most software is built in the US many spell checkers spell it with an S unless told to do differently. This is a motoring website, not an English language one so picking up on somebody’s spelling is very pedantic and unnecessary especially when making a grammatical error when doing so.
How many van drivers have you seen only doing 50 miles an hour ?.
Saw one today in town driving down the high street.
No National Speed Limit…….on the Isle of Man.
White Helmets, disband this year 2017 after 90 years so that sign can go. Come on we all know ‘white vans’ are limited to 85mph!
You mean 85mph MINIMUM!!!
I always thought the double bump sign meant “nudist camp ahead” and the roadworks ahead sign meant “man having problems with his umbrella”.
Perhaps a national publication or suchlike could publish a chart of ALL the signs used on UK roads so it could be obtained on request.
I think it’s called the Highway Code, you can even get it on your smartphone, so no excuses really…
I was referring to the road signs themselves – not the rest of the Code. I agree there’s no real excuse though!
There is. It’s called ‘Know your traffic signs’.
If a road user is that daft they cannot understand these simple signs then they need to surrender their licence and use public transport.
Who has ever seen the MINIMUM speed limit sign ANYWHERE?
At the Bkackwall Tunnel
There is a 30mph minimum speed limit sign on the prom in Rhos on Sea, North Wales, but it has an orange background. Is this legally enforceable?
If it’s orange, it is not only unenforceable but also illegal. Maybe you should pay another visit as I would think that no-one would want a minimum speed on a promenade.
I think you will find these Yellow background ones are advisory max speed limits. You also get them on some roadworks. They are not min speed limits at all!
I have. I expect lots of other people have too. It depends where you drive.
It must depend on where you live…..in the last 250000 miles in every UK country plus Southern Ireland, I have not come across this sign for minimum speed.
Maybe it just didn’t register with you. I drive the length and breadth of Britain and have seen many, just don’t really know where tho.
NOT ME !
There used to be one many years ago at the approach to the old Dartford Tunnel. This, of course, was when one tunnel went south and the other north, long before the QE 2 bridge and the M25. Most people didn’t know what it meant then, They thought it was a maximum speed limit that had wandered off a motorway because it was blue. Most drivers slowed down to below 30 so it was totally useless.
There are 50mph minimum speed limit signs on the Dartford tunnels to this day,
Sorry, this should read read minimum 10mph!! Hangs head in shame.
I saw one in Portugal once.
How pointless to put ANY signs in Portugal…drivers there just ignore them all!
Entrance to the Blackwall Tunnel in London
What?blind cats?ha ha,ha
They’re easier to run over with no eyes.
Yes mainly for tunnels (Dartford and Blackwall – East London )
Min speed sign often found in tunnels and on longerbridges
Possibly alongside with the maximum speed sign
Never !.
Yes, one going into a small village near Melton Mowbray for some reason, I have always wondered why.
Sure your not telling pork pies?
I have driven across most of England and Wales and parts of Scotland but I have never seen a minimum speed limit sign. I would welcome retesting every time we need to renew our licence. As for the “cats eyes” how dare they lol. (faints in mock horror)
The best place I have seen the cats eyes sign was at roadworks outside a vet’s practice.
It wasn’t advertising for new ones by any chance? HAHA
Perfect, free advertising,
Cats’ eyes outside vets?!!
Never seen it!
Have you had your eyes removed?
The Dartford Tunnel has a minimum 10 miles per hour sign
On the Mersey Tunnel
Correct – Not many of these people have travelled to Merseyside.
who’d want to go to the merseyside anyway lol, only joking!
I have on the approach to Blackwall Tunnel SE London
They are out there. Good observation is required to drive Proactiveley not reactiveley !!!!!
Not if you’ve had ya eyes removed
If you’ve had your eyes removed, then:
a) How on earth are you able to read this??
b) What are you doing even trying to drive??!!
He used the force. O Be One, showed him he did!
Try the Dartford tunnel for starters!
They are usually placed in tunnels, bridges or underpasses. If you never see one you either don’t use these kind of roads, or you don’t observe properly……
They might be a good idea in red light areas to stop kerb crawlers!
What’s a kerb crawler? “I was just asking her for directions, yer ‘onour”,
I’ve seen them in tunnels, the last one was in the Mersey tunnel,, so it’s still important to understand it.
They are posted at some tunnels for example
In the Dartford tunnel
Try the Dartford Thames crossing for starters
They should introduce a minimum 60mph limit for cars on motorways – it would stop them from being overtaken by lorries.
I hope you don’t need to use a space saver spare tyre (maximum speed 50 mph then! I wold prefer the 70mph enforced.
I would much prefer to get rid of space saver spare tyres, safety comes before convenience.
You also mean ‘before cost of manufacture’? Actually with many punctured being a nail or some such then a low or flat tyre can simply be reinflated if there was an electric pump in the car – then driven on to next service stop. Much quicker
That’s OK if the thing puncturing the tyre stays in, if not even a 1000 CFM compressor wouldn’t inflate it.
& of course, you become aware, before tyre overheats and destroys itself
My personal experience with these pathetic electric plug in car tyre pumps is they take ages to even partially inflate a car tyre – much quicker to use a bicycle pump (if you are able) to inflate a car tyre than use one of these useless things.
Apparently electric pumpsand a bottle of puncture repair liquid is becoming the European standard now but as I found out to my cost, this is no damn use when the puncture is in the wall of the tyre, I could have driven to replace the tyre myself then with a space saver not on the back of a low loader, oh the shame !!!
The VAG solution is that their breakdown vans carry a spare space saver wheel in their vans. When they get called out for a flat, they fit the space saver and lead you (at 50mph) to the nearest tyre depot.
Some manufacturers have. They put no spare tyre in at all. All you get is an electric pump and a pot of glue. Brilliant….
The electric pump and ‘pot of glue’ is almost useless. If you’re someone who ensures that they have good tyres kept correctly inflated, then how often do you get a serious puncture? I haven’t had a puncture since last century.
Having no spare saves a lot of space, weight and cost (of wheel/tyre and a tiny amount in fuel).
On balance, having no spare probably works out cheaper unless you are unlucky.
Better if the motorway limit was raised to 80mph in line with the rest of Europe and more in keeping with mdern cars anyway
Most of Europe is 76 Mph (120 Kmh)
130km/h on French motorways, except when weather conditions reduce it to 110km/h in which case the orange columns on the side of (most) motorways have a light on.
No speed limit on German motorways, outside of posted restricted speed areas.
It is 120km/h on 2 lane French motorways
Sorry Geoff, but no 120km/h limits in France, they’re either 130 or 110
In France, our nearest mainland European country, the speed limit is 130 (or 110 in the wet), neither of which are 120 (actually 75mph – remember the 8km=5mi rule!!)
That will just make the idiots that currently exceed the 70 limit by about 30mph to go even faster. I don’t fancy my chances being hit by a d**k going at 110/120mph. Just stick to 70, it’s adequate. If you need to get somewhere sooner, leave earlier.
Modern cars may go faster but drivers are still imbeciles!!