What do these road signs show?

Explanation

In the zone of the sign, drivers are advised to travel at 50 km/h.

In the picture a blue square sign with the figure 50 is mounted beside the street, and beneath it a plate reading 800 m between two arrows. Colour and shape determine the message: a blue field means an information sign, and a figure on a blue field is a recommended speed, not a compulsory one. The plate beneath says this recommendation holds for the next 800 metres.

The difference between this sign and the round, red-bordered "maximum speed" sign is fundamental. That one sets a legal limit and exceeding it is an offence; this one suggests a speed that produces the best result on that particular stretch. A recommended speed is usually set to coordinate with the timing of successive traffic lights, or for a stretch with a particular curve radius and limited visibility. If you travel at that speed you usually meet no red light and are not forced into sudden braking — and that reduction in the number of hard stops is what reduces rear-end collisions.

Note that this figure being a recommendation does not mean complete freedom: the general speed limits — including the ceiling within a built-up area, which is visible in the picture — remain in force.

The common exam trap is that the mind instantly translates the figure 50 into "speed limit". The correct criterion is the background colour: red and round means an obligation, blue and square means a recommendation.

• No sign requires a driver to travel faster than the figure written on it; the "minimum speed" sign is also a blue circle and means "do not go below this", not "go above this".

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