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The Sun
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Common road signs that most drivers DON'T know – how many can you get?
THE 10 common road signs that even the most experienced drivers often forget, according to driving instructors and traffic wardens. Here are the 10 UK road signs that drivers often misunderstand, along with their explanations and why they tend to cause confusion: 1. Red and blue circle with a cross 10 This red, circular sign with a blue background and single red cross through it means that drivers must not stop for any reason. It is also often accompanied by yellows or red kerb lines. The sign is typically found on busy main roads and informs drivers that under no condition are they allowed to stop - even to drop off passengers or wait briefly. It is often confused with the "No Waiting" sign, resulting in many drivers being fined for making a quick stop. Driver confusion is a well-known issue for traffic wardens, as they issue hundreds of fines for stopping on red routes each year. According to Auto Express, Transport for London generated £83.4 million in fines from red route violations in the 2023/24 financial year. Meaning: No Stopping 2. Red circle, blue inside with diagonal line This sign is used to inform drivers that they cannot wait or park in the area. However, drivers are usually allowed to make a quick stop to drop off passengers, as long as it is safe to do so and doesn't cause any obstruction. The sign consists of a blue circle with a red border and single red diagonal line. Similarly to the "No Stopping" sign, it is usually accompanied by single or double yellow lines on the curb. Due to the confusion between this sign and "No Stopping", drivers often either avoid stopping all together or stop for too long, incurring fines. Meaning: No waiting 3. Plain red circle 10 Sometimes a plain red circle with empty white centre, this sign effectively closes the road to all traffic. It is often misunderstood by drivers thinking it is simply an empty circle or incomplete. It is also commonly mistaken for "No Entry." This results in drivers often wrongfully entering roads, particularly in pedestrianised areas or private access roads. Meaning: No Vehicles 4. Blue 30 A blue circular sign with a white number in the centre indicates that there is a minimum speed limit which drivers must abide by. It is commonly found in tunnels or specific stretches of motorway. The majority of drivers are so focused on maximum speed limits that they don't register or misinterpret these signs. This causes unnecessarily slow driving in area where higher speeds are often required to help with traffic flow. Drivers caught travelling to slowly can be met with a fine of up to £5000 or 3 to 9 penalty points, according to Flexed. Meaning: Minimum Speed Limit 5. Trio of signs A "no through road" sign means the road is not a public access route. The road is only accessible to drivers that need to access properties on it. The rectangular sign has a blue background and a shape in the middle which often resembles a T. Drivers either mistake the road for a dead end and avoid it unnecessarily or attempt to take a shortcut only to discover that it is not a public thoroughfare. Evidence of this confusion has been sourced from reports from residents of "access only" roads. Meaning: No Through Road (Except for Access) 6. Blue circle, two white arrows This blue and white sign indicates that drivers may pass an obstruction, such as roadworks or a central bollard, on either side to reach the same destination. This sign is considerably less common than "keep left/right" signs, so drivers are more likely to hesitate or assume one side is preferred. This can cause sudden swerves and last-minute changes when approaching the sign. Meaning: Vehicles May Pass Either Side 7. Red and white circle, two opposite arrows 10 The "give way to oncoming traffic" sign is commonly found at narrow sections of roads and bridges. It informs drivers that they must give way to oncoming vehicle and they do not have priority. It is often mixed up with the "priority over oncoming traffic" sign and can cause dangerous stand-offs or collisions. The result of this confusion is frequent near-misses on narrow roads where drivers wrongly assume priority. Meaning: Give Way to Oncoming Traffic 8. Triangle with steam train This triangular warning sign indicates a railway level crossing that doesn't have barriers or gates. When approaching this sign, drivers must ensure that they stop, look and listen for trains before proceeding to cross. This sign causes particular confusion for urban drivers who are less familiar with the warning. They may assume all level crossings are protected and therefore, not take the warning seriously enough. Meaning: Level Crossing Without Barrier or Gate 9. Green rectangle with 4 modes of transport 10 A green rectangular sign that depicts various road users indicates a "quiet lane." This means drivers are in an area where traffic has been intentionally reduced to provide a safer road for pedestrians. Drivers are expected to drive at an advisory speed limit of 35mph and proceed with caution. Ignoring one of these signs may result in a fixed penalty of three points and a £100 fine. The sign was not introduced until 2006 and is less common so drivers may simply not understand exactly what the sign is instructing them to do. Meaning: Quiet Lane 10. White circle, black diagonal This list is based on common anecdotal evidence from driving instructors, traffic wardens, and frequently asked questions about the highway code.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
'Zero tolerance' to fining bad parking at beach, says police
Drivers are being warned police in Guernsey will take a "zero tolerance" approach to vehicles not parked in designated spaces at Cobo beach. Guernsey Police said people had been parking on grass verges, ignoring "no parking" signs, blocking footpaths and forcing other drivers to travel in the middle of the road. It said traffic wardens and roads officers would be in the area issuing fixed penalty notices to any vehicles not parked properly. "If you're going to the beach, think about walking, cycling, or getting the bus. But if you drive, park in a designated space, or be ready to pay a fine," it said. The force said the same warning also applied to other areas of the island. "Yesterday, there were a number of cars parked on yellow lines or white hatching at the entrance to La Vallette," it said. "Officers dealt with two particularly egregious cases."It added: "The same goes for places like Fort Grey and Bordeaux, where various yellow lines, no-parking signs and painted footpaths must not be ignored."
BreakingNews.ie
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- BreakingNews.ie
Revealed: Cork's illegal parking blackspots with one street the worst in Ireland
St Patrick's Street in Cork remains the country's main hotspot for the detection of illegal parking with over 3,200 motorists fined for parking offences on the city's main shopping street last year. Figures provided by Cork City Council show traffic wardens issued a total of 3,212 fines for a variety of parking offences on the city's main thoroughfare – known colloquially as 'Pana' – in 2024. Advertisement It is the fourth year in a row that St Patrick's Street has recorded the most number of parking offences for any location in the Republic with levels more than double the prime location for illegal parking in Dublin – the Main Street in Lucan where just under 1,600 fines were issued last year. The number of vehicles detected parking illegally on Cork's busiest street last year also increased by 4 per cent. Almost 90 per cent of cases related to motorists being issued with fines of €40 for parking in an area of St Patrick's Street where parking was not permitted or for parking in a space reserved for special classes of vehicles, such as goods vehicles or taxis. Figures released under freedom of information legislation show half of all parking offences on St Patrick's Street are detected between 3pm and 5pm. Advertisement Overall, the figures reveal a total of 49,178 parking fines were issued by Cork City Council last year – a decrease of less than 1 per cent on the total number issued in 2023. However, income from parking fines rose slightly to over €2.03 million. Total revenue from parking including fees for on-street parking and council-owned car parks as well as fines increased by almost 1% per cent to €9.34 million – an annual increase of over €73,000. The latest figures also show 6 out of 10 motorists were issued with a parking fine in Cork city last year for the failure to display a parking disc or having an invalid disc. Advertisement Around 8,500 were caught parking in a 'no parking' area or on double yellow lines, while almost 5,000 were detected parking illegally in loading bays. A total of 754 motorists were issued with a higher €150 fine for parking in a space reserved for disabled drivers, with a high proportion of such vehicles caught on South Mall. Two motorists were fined €200 for using a disabled parking permit other than for the convenience of the person to whom it was issued. Around 2,400 drivers were hit with an €80 fine for parking on footpaths, cycle tracks, bus lanes and in spaces reserved for electric vehicles with a particular blackspot being MacCurtain Street. Ireland Onlookers who filmed fatal drowning in Cork asked... Read More There are around 8,000 paid on-street parking spaces in Cork with approximately 1,800 in the city centre area. Parking offences were detected at 630 different locations across the city by parking wardens last year. Motorists are most likely to be issued with fines between Tuesday and Friday with peak detections of parking offences occurring between 11am and 12 midday followed by 9-10am and 12 midday-1pm. The figures show that other common locations for illegal parking in Cork city are South Mall, Connaught Avenue, Mardyke Walk and Grand Parade.
