Which sign indicates bypass road to the right or left?

Explanation

Sign number 5; a blue circle with two arrows branching upwards to the right and to the left.

The obstacle-bypass sign belongs to the family of mandatory signs — hence the blue circle with a white symbol. This sign is usually mounted on the obstacle itself: a central island, roadworks, site equipment or anything that has closed part of the carriageway. The two arrows opening from one point to the right and left mean you may pass on either side of the obstacle and the choice of side is yours.

The safety reason for posting it is to remove last-moment hesitation. A fixed obstacle on the carriageway is seen late, especially at night or in rain; a driver who notices it at short range either brakes hard or jumps into the adjacent lane with a sudden steering input. Both manoeuvres cause crashes. A bright, reflective sign on the obstacle makes the decision in advance.

The biggest trap in this question is sign 1. It too is a blue circle and it too has arrows to the right and left, but its arrows spring from a vertical stem and form the shape of a "T"; that is, "turn right or left" at the junction ahead and no straight-ahead movement. In sign 5 there is no stem at all and the two arrows separate diagonally. That stem makes the whole difference: a stem means a junction, no stem means an obstacle.

• Sign 1 has arrows on a vertical stem and prescribes "turn right or left" at a junction; the shared blue circle and two directions make it the most tempting option. • Sign 2 is a blue rectangle with one white arrow to the right and announces a direction of travel; it makes no reference to passing an obstacle. • Sign 3 is a red warning triangle referring to a junction with a minor road from the left, so its subject is priority, not deviating around something. • Sign 4 is the blue dead-end sign and says the road ahead has no exit — the opposite of "you may pass on either side".

Sources and content coverage · Report a content error