Direction signs on all-purpose roads

Roads other than motorways are referred to as ‘all-purpose roads’. Those of national and regional importance are called primary routes: they always have ‘A’ numbers. Direction signs on these roads have green backgrounds, yellow route numbers and white lettering. Primary routes, together with motorways, form a national network of roads between major towns (primary destinations).

All other roads, including local roads with ‘A’ numbers, are called non-primary routes. Direction signs on these roads have white backgrounds, with black route numbers and lettering. Most road maps show primary routes in green and use other colours to distinguish between non-primary ‘A’ roads, ‘B’ roads and local un-numbered roads. Maps may also indicate primary destinations. The colour coding of these maps and the colours of the traffic signs may help you to plan your journey, using primary routes wherever possible.

Where a primary route has a junction with a non-primary route, a coloured panel on the advance direction sign is used to indicate a route of different status. Blue panels are used to indicate motorways, green panels indicate primary routes and white panels indicate non-primary routes.

There are different types of sign that might be used on the approach to a junction. A ‘map-type’ sign shows the junction layout and is commonly used for roundabouts, with a special symbol for mini-roundabouts. The width of each route symbol depends on the type of the road indicated: wide for primary routes and motorways, medium for ‘A’ and ‘B’ numbered non-primary routes and narrow for local roads without numbers.

A stack-type sign shows directions at a junction ahead, but not the road layout. It can often be smaller than the equivalent map-type sign and is used for simple junctions (e.g. a crossroads) and where there might not be space for a larger sign, especially in urban areas.

Examples of stack-type signs. Arrows indicate the direction of exits from the junction ahead; each is shown on a separate part of the sign. The ahead direction may not be shown for a junction with a minor side road.

Signs located at a junction and pointing along a road have chevrons rather than arrows. They are called ‘flag-type’ signs. Some signs may be rectangular with upward-pointing arrows. These are used where the road divides, such as at an exit slip road or a forked junction. The background colour of a flag-type sign is that appropriate for the route indicated; coloured panels are not used where a primary route has a junction with a non-primary route. However, flag-type signs may include route number patches. A rectangular sign at the junction may have coloured panels, but only if it indicates more than one route.

Where a turning movement is prohibited, signs may show an alternative route.

A sign may indicate the distance to a destination in miles. Fractions of a mile may be shown for distances less than 3 miles. Signs may be provided after a junction listing destinations and distances: these are known as ‘route confirmatory signs’.

Some junctions on dual carriageway roads may be similar to those on motorways, where a slip road leaves the main carriageway via a deceleration lane or a lane drop. The first direction sign on the approach to the junction is usually located ½ mile in advance, although there may be an additional sign 1 mile before the junction. In some cases, these distances may be reduced, normally to ⅓ mile and ⅔ mile respectively. Another sign will be located where the deceleration lane starts or just before the left-hand lane leaves the main carriageway as a lane drop. The signs may be mounted at the side of the road or overhead.

Signs located at the side of the road where there is a deceleration lane. The number of lanes through the junction remains the same

Countdown markers indicate the distance to the start of the deceleration lane. Each bar represents about 100 yards. These signs may also be used on the approach to a roundabout or crossroads. On non-primary routes, the bars are black on a white background.

A final route direction sign is usually located where the exit slip road separates from the main carriageway.

Signs on a non-primary route.

Overhead signs for junctions with deceleration lanes and slip roads, where the number of lanes through the junction remains the same

Signs for a junction where a lane leaves the main carriageway to become the exit slip road. Primary route signs have green backgrounds. Non-primary route signs have white backgrounds

Signs for tourist destinations

Tourist destinations may be shown on separate signs with brown backgrounds, or on brown panels incorporated into other direction signs.

Symbols are often used to indicate the type of destination. These may be shown on road maps. Once the full name of a tourist destination and its symbol have been shown on a sign, subsequent signs may show only the associated symbol. Examples of symbols are shown below.

There are also symbols for sports and leisure facilities.

Some symbols are directional and face in the direction in which traffic turns at a junction. For ahead destinations, symbols generally face left. Some tourist attractions may use a general symbol, depending on whether they are in England, Scotland or Wales.

Services signs

Services grouped together at a single location on primary and non-primary routes may be signed where parking, toilets, fuel and refreshments are available at least between 8am and 8pm on every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Signs on non-primary routes have white backgrounds.

‘not 24 hrs’ may be varied to ‘Fuel only 24 hrs’ or omitted if the services are open 24 hours every day. The cup symbol indicates that light refreshments are available. The vehicle and plug symbol denotes facilities for recharging electric vehicles are available.

The services may have a geographical name. The ‘LPG’ symbol means LPG fuel is available, the spoon and fork symbol denotes a restaurant and the bed symbol indicates overnight accommodation. The truckstop legend indicates non-motorway services for goods vehicles only where parking, refreshments and toilets are available, and fuel may be available, at least between 8am and 8pm on every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Where the symbol has a red bar, services are not available for goods vehicles.

Alternative signs indicating the entrance to services. May be used to indicate the direction to services at a road junction.

Where individual facilities are available in a small town or village off the main route, signs at the junction indicate the direction in which they are located. If tourist facilities are available, the signs have a brown background.

Signs on the approach to the junction.

Signs located where traffic turns at the junction.

Brown signs may indicate establishments that provide restaurant facilities, light refreshments or overnight accommodation.

Licensed camping and caravan sites, youth hostels managed by the Youth Hostels Association or Scottish Youth Hostels Association, picnic areas, viewpoints and parking places with tourist information may also be indicated by brown signs.

Camping and caravan site: the tent or the caravan symbol may be omitted, depending on the facilities available. The name of the camp site may be shown.

Youth hostel.

Picnic area: may include a name.

Distance to a parking place with toilets, tourist information, picnic area, telephone and viewpoint. The symbols may be varied as appropriate.

Parking signs

Direction signs indicating parking places, such as off-street car parks, have white backgrounds, even on primary routes. Where the parking destination is incorporated into a primary route sign with a green background, it is shown on a white panel.

The signs may include various details about the parking places.

Signs may indicate the location of parking places associated with ‘Park and Ride’ schemes. Where appropriate, the bus symbol is changed to another form of transport, e.g. tram, national railway or London Underground. The sign may include the name of the Park and Ride site or the place that it serves. It may also include the times of operation. Other direction signs may incorporate the blue ‘Park and Ride’ panel.

Signs for drivers of goods vehicles

Direction signs on the approach to a junction.

This sign is used in advance of a junction, advising drivers of goods vehicles of the route to be followed where it is not practicable to sign the route at the junction itself.

Signs for traffic diversions

Where, in an emergency, it is necessary to close a section of motorway or other main road to traffic, a temporary sign may advise drivers to follow a diversion route. To help drivers navigate the route, black symbols on yellow patches may be permanently displayed on existing direction signs, including motorway signs. On all-purpose roads, the symbols may be used on separate signs with yellow backgrounds.

Signs incorporating a diversion route symbol that is shown alongside the road number of the route that drivers should follow.

Separate signs indicating a diversion route (may be permanently displayed).

Temporary diversion signs may be required when a road is closed for reasons other than an emergency, e.g. to carry out works.

Examples of other direction signs

Direction signs at the junction may incorporate warning triangles or prohibitory roundels. A distance plate indicates that the hazard or restriction is not encountered immediately.

Ministry of Defence establishments may also be shown on separate signs with red borders, arrows and chevrons. The background colour is always white, even on a primary route.

This sign shows a local road with three junctions ahead in close proximity. The ‘WC’ and wheelchair symbols indicate toilets with facilities for disabled people. The ‘H’ symbol on a red patch indicates a hospital with A&E facilities (if there is no A&E, a blue patch is used). At hospitals with an urgent treatment centre (UTC), the ‘A&E’ legend is replaced with ‘UTC’.

Local destinations, including a railway station and recycling centre, reached along a primary route.

This sign shows both primary and local destinations that are reached along a primary route at a junction ahead. At some junctions, a separate sign might be used to indicate local destinations where this would avoid putting too much information on a single sign. In this example, the sign indicates that the primary route is a ring road.

These signs are used where there are more destinations than can be accommodated on the signs at a junction. They are located in advance of the first sign for the junction and advise drivers of the routes to be followed for particular destinations.

Signs may indicate an alternative route.

Signs that indicate the appropriate traffic lanes for turning movements at a junction ahead may be used alone or in addition to map-type or stack-type advance direction signs. Signs on primary routes have green backgrounds, and signs on non-primary routes have white backgrounds.

These signs show how traffic lanes on a slip road join the main carriageway of a dual carriageway road at junctions. Signs on primary routes have green backgrounds, and signs on non-primary route have white backgrounds

The slip road joins the main carriageway as a lane gain to increase the number of lanes from 2 to 3. A distance panel may be added.

The right-hand lane of the slip road joins the main carriageway as a merge with an acceleration lane. This is followed by the left-hand lane, which joins the main carriageway as a lane gain. Chevron road markings normally separate the 2 lanes on the slip road. The distance may be omitted.