A driving test examiner has explained how to tell the difference between two common road symbols which some motorists might have a habit of mixing up at times…
Do you still remember road signs from your theory test? It can be challenging to retain everything from your driving examination, but it’s essential to keep yourself and other road users safe.
Now one driving test examiner has revealed what a common warning sign means, as it could easily be mistaken for another similar one. Annie regularly shares her expertise on social media and recently explained what this triangular symbol indicates. She said on TikTok: “What does this sign mean? Do you know the answer?
“It’s in the shape of a triangle so remember what I said, all triangle shape signs give us warnings. That’s a triangle that’s a W for a warning. So what is this sign warning you about?
“A lot of people tend to know it’s warning you about a hill, but is it up hill or downhill? Okay let me give you an explanation.”
She continued in the video, which received more than 1,000 likes: “I’m going to make it super easy for you so you get it every single time. Okay so if I was to write the number 50, are you reading that number from left to right or from right to left?
“If the 5 is here and the 0 is higher up than the number 5, that’s warning you about a steep uphill slope. Make sense?
“And if the 5 is here and the 0 is lower down, it’s warning you about a steep downhill slope. So let’s come back to the road sign. So if you read this sign from left to right, is the zero going further up or lower down?
“If the 2 is down and the 0 is above, it’s warning you about a steep hill upwards.”
Triangular road signs in the UK are warning symbols featuring a red border, designed to alert drivers to hazards, unusual road layouts or changes in the conditions ahead.
Typically, these feature a white background with a black, easy-to-understand symbol. These signs warn of dangers like sharp bends, steep hills, junctions or pedestrians.
The Highway Code states triangular, red-bordered, white-background signs warn of steep hills ahead, showing a black triangle pointing up (ascending) or down (descending) with a percentage gradient, such as 20%.
It said: “They alert drivers to prepare for steep inclines by adjusting speed and using low gears, especially for heavy vehicles.”