If you’re an aspiring driver studying for the theory test and preparing for your driving lessons, you’ll learn many things in these exciting times! Important among them is how to understand various motorway signs you’ll encounter during your journey.
There are many road types & assigned road signs to those particular roads, but the most popular among them are motorway signs. The longest known motorway in the UK stretches within 300 miles, so as a certified fleet driver, you’ll get to drive on the motorway at a certain point.
Therefore, the quicker you recognise all the motorway signs, the easier it will be to prevent unfortunate hazards. In this article, we’ll explore the motorway signs to remember them on the go.
Blue Motorway Signs
The blue background on road signs is a special identifier for recognising motorway signs. The blue background with white text written in high contrast is used to recognise them easily while driving.
Generally, motorway signs are bigger in size than other roads to be recognised by drivers at high speeds. Below are the most common motorway signs you’ll encounter in the UK.
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Start & End Motorway Signs
These blue motorway signs can be found when you enter & exit a motorway. The standard white text with a blue background can be found depicting a dual carriageway while driving under a bridge.
As the motorway ends, you’ll notice the same sign pattern indicating the end and the new road junction. The new road junction signposts provide instructions to take the specific lane to travel to specific destinations. These signposts can be found above the bridge, roads, and gantries.
You might also see the sign with the text ‘End of motorway regulation.’ you’ll come off the road towards a service station. You can take advantage of the facilities nearby, and the motorway regulations cease to apply after that.
Service Station Signs
Have you been driving for a long time and want to take a break or service your fleet? You’ll need to find the nearest service station, and the service station signs are here to help in this situation.
Thankfully, you can either find your local service station on all our provided truck stations in the UK according to your convenience, or you can look for the nearest station when you exit the motorway in the same blue & white patterned signpost.
Countdown Markers
You will encounter three countdown markers to remind the junction ahead before you exit the motorway. The countdown markers on the motorway are there for drivers who drive at higher speeds and a way to be informed about where the motorway ends & the drivers who need to change their lanes to go to a particular location & want to be informed beforehand.
The three white stripes on the blue background demonstrate you’re 300 yards (275m) away from the junction ahead. Two stripes demonstrate you’re 200 yards (182.88m) away from the junction ahead & finally, one stripe is your 100 yards (91.44m) warning sign.
Driver Location Signs
If you ever have to stop on a motorway if you have a vehicle breakdown or any other emergency, driver location signs become necessary. The driver location signs are shown as tiny roadside blue signs with three yellow text lines.
Although the driver location signs can be found every 500ms along the motorway, we suggest you avoid reading them in an emergency and use your smartphone to locate yourself and the services nearby.
Brown Motorway Signs
Signs that come under public interest or tourism are represented as brown motorway signs. Represented both in the UK & internationally,
Although most motorway signs are blue, signs pointing to a place of public interest or a tourist spot have brown backgrounds instead. This keeps them consistent with tourist information signs you’ll see on other roads in the UK and internationally.
Brown signs are especially necessary when drivers take a forthcoming exit to reach an attraction. The brown motorway signs are words under a symbol to make them easy to read.
Destinations such as Zoos, museums, and theme parks are all examples that all brown motorway signs would display.
Learn more about the UK motorway and traffic signs through the essential guide: UK Department of Transport – Know your road signs in the UK.
