On a 40mph road you pass a red-bordered triangular sign showing three curved black arrows chasing each other, with no other markings. A little further on, right at the give-way markings of a small junction, there is a plain blue circular sign showing the same three-arrow symbol. What is the difference in legal effect between these two signs?
- The triangular sign is only a warning that a roundabout lies ahead, giving you time to slow down and prepare, while the blue circular sign at the junction is a mandatory instruction that roundabout give-way rules now apply there
- There is no difference; both signs are simply alternative designs for the same roundabout and either may legally be used at any roundabout in the country
- The triangular sign applies only to HGVs and coaches, instructing them to take a wider path through the roundabout, while the blue circular sign applies to cars
- The triangular sign means the roundabout ahead is closed for maintenance, while the blue circular sign means it is open and operating normally
Why A? And why not the others?
Correct answer: A. The triangular sign is only a warning that a roundabout lies ahead, giving you time to slow down and prepare, while the blue circular sign at the junction is a mandatory instruction that roundabout give-way rules now apply there
A red-bordered upward-pointing triangle is always a warning sign under the Highway Code's sign system: it never gives an order, it only prepares a driver for a hazard or feature ahead, which here is an ordinary roundabout still some distance away, giving time to slow down and get into the correct lane. A plain blue circle, by contrast, is a positive instruction sign: placed at the junction itself, at the mini-roundabout, it tells drivers that roundabout give-way-to-the-right rules apply from that point, which is a mandatory rule rather than advance notice. The two signs are not interchangeable alternatives for the same feature, since a triangle and a circle carry entirely different legal weight under the sign-shape convention (red triangle for warning, blue circle for instruction); they are also not split by vehicle type, since both apply to every vehicle using the road, and neither sign communicates anything about the roundabout being closed or open for maintenance, which would instead be shown by a temporary road-closure or diversion sign.
Source: GOV.UK Highway Code Traffic Signs — Roundabout warning sign and Mini-roundabout sign