Road signs

By the end of this topic you can

• You can tell regulatory, warning and information signs apart by shape and colour.
• You can obey Stop, Yield, No Entry, speed limit and mandatory direction signs.
• You can use warning signs to slow down and prepare early.
• You can read direction signs for motorways, national roads and regional roads.
• You can recognise temporary orange roadworks signs.

What you need to know and understand

• Regulatory signs are usually white with a red border and black symbols, or blue with white symbols. Most are circular, but Stop is eight-sided and Yield is a triangle.
• Blue circles with white symbols give a mandatory instruction, such as turn left or keep left.
• Stop is the only eight-sided sign. You must stop completely at the line.
• At a Yield sign you must give way to traffic on the major road. It may read Yield or Géill Slí.
• Warning signs are yellow diamonds with a black border and symbol.
• Roadworks signs use similar shapes but are orange.
• Information signs are blue on motorways, green on national roads and white on regional and local roads.
• Speed limit signs show kilometres per hour.

Must obey: regulatory signs

Regulatory signs show what the law requires. A red circle usually tells you what you must not do, for example no entry, no right turn, no U-turn, no overtaking or a maximum speed. A blue circle tells you what you must do, such as turn left, go straight ahead or keep left of an island.

Stop and Yield signs control junctions. Ignoring either is a penalty point offence. A school warden's stop sign also means you must stop. Parking signs, such as clearway, disc parking and parking prohibited, are regulatory too.

Watch out: warning signs

Yellow diamond signs warn you about what is ahead so you can adjust speed and position. Common groups include:

• Junctions: crossroads, T-junctions, side roads, staggered junctions. The thicker line shows the more important road.
• Bends: dangerous bend, series of bends and chevron boards on sharp turns.
• Road layout: roundabout ahead, road narrows, dual carriageway ends, merging traffic.
• Surface and slope: slippery road, steep hill, sharp dip, hump-back bridge.
• Road users: pedestrians, children, cyclists, animals, farm machinery.
• Traffic signals ahead and level crossings.

Finding your way: information signs

• Blue background: motorway signs. Motorway rules apply.
• Green background: national roads (N numbers).
• White background with black text: regional (R) and local roads.
• Tourist information signs: direct you to visitor attractions and services.
• Place names are often shown in Irish and English.

Common mistakes

• Rolling through a Stop sign when the road looks clear. You must come to a complete stop.
• Confusing the rural speed limit sign with a UK national limit sign. In Ireland it means a maximum of 60 km/h.
• Noticing a warning sign but not slowing down. Act on it before you reach the hazard.
• Missing signs on the left because you are watching the car in front. Scan the roadside too.
• Not reading the plate under a sign, which may give times or exceptions.

Test yourself: Road signs

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Irish Road Signs Explained