Road markings are used to define traffic lanes, warn of hazards, and indicate parking and loading restrictions. It is essential to understand them to maintain correct lane discipline and obey the law.
1. Across the Carriageway (Transverse Markings)
Lines painted across the road indicate where you must stop or give way.
- •Stop lines: A solid white line across the road indicates where you must stop at traffic signals, police controls, or at a 'Stop' sign. There is also a specific stop line for pedestrians at level crossings.
- •Give way lines: Broken white lines across the road mean you must give way to traffic on a major road. They are also used at roundabouts and mini-roundabouts to indicate where you must give way to traffic from the right.
2. Along the Carriageway (Longitudinal Markings)
Markings running along the road guide lane discipline and highlight potential hazards.
#### Standard Lane and Hazard Lines
- •Edge line: A solid white line that marks the edge of the carriageway. Alternative edge markings with raised ribs provide audible and tactile warnings on motorways and high-speed roads.
- •Centre line: A broken white line in the middle of a single carriageway road.
🖼️ Centre line on a single carriageway road.
- •Hazard warning line: A broken white line where the painted sections are longer than the gaps. It replaces a centre line or a lane line to indicate a hazard ahead, such as a bend or an approaching junction.
🖼️ Hazard warning line (replaces a centre line or a lane line). An upright sign may indicate the nature of the hazard, such as a bend. The marking is used also on the approach to a junction.
- •Lane line: Short broken white lines separating traffic travelling in the same direction.
🖼️ Lane line separating traffic travelling in the same direction (single or dual carriageway road).
#### Hatched, Chevron, and Lane Reduction Markings
- •Diagonal white lines (Hatched markings):
🖼️ Diagonal white lines (hatched markings) bounded by broken lines may be used in the centre of the road to separate opposing flows of traffic. They are often provided at junctions to protect traffic turning right. They may also be used on the approach to a central traffic island or the start of a dual carriageway. Hatched markings with a single, broken boundary line may be used at the edge of the road or next to the central reservation of a dual carriageway: the diagonal lines always slope towards the direction of travel. You should not enter any hatched area bounded by a broken line unless it is safe to do so.
- •Chevron markings (Broken boundary):
🖼️ Part of the carriageway where traffic passes in the same direction on either side of the chevron marking. Vehicles should not enter the area unless it is safe to do so. This marking is likely to be found in one-way streets with central islands and where an exit lane leaves at a junction.
- •Chevron markings (Solid boundary):
🖼️ Part of the carriageway where traffic passes in the same direction on either side of the chevron marking. The continuous boundary line means that vehicles must not enter the area except in an emergency. This marking is used where slip roads leave and join motorways and many dual carriageway roads. It is also used for segregated left-turn lanes at roundabouts.
- •Lane reduction:
🖼️ Reduction in the number of lanes, or area not available to traffic. Vehicles must not cross the continuous white line except in an emergency. Used on the right-hand side of a motorway, dual carriageway road or slip road.
- •Direction arrow:
🖼️ Arrow indicating the direction in which to pass hatched markings and double white lines, or the route that high vehicles should take under a low arch bridge (may be reversed).
#### Double White Lines
Used to restrict overtaking in areas with limited visibility.
- •Continuous (Solid) Line Closest to Driver: MUST NOT cross or straddle except to turn into premises/side roads, avoid stationary obstructions, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse, or road works vehicle moving at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.
- •Broken Line Closest to Driver: Overtaking is permitted if safe and can be completed before reaching a solid line on the driver's side.
🖼️ road marking double lines 1
🖼️ road marking double lines 2
🖼️ road marking double lines 3
🖼️ road marking double lines 4
🖼️ road marking double lines 5
🖼️ road marking centre
#### Overtaking and Edge Details
- •Overtaking Lane:
🖼️ Overtaking lane continues for the distance shown, with single lane traffic in the opposite direction. This arrangement may then change to provide the overtaking lane in the opposite direction.
- •End of Overtaking:
🖼️ End of overtaking lane head.
- •Lane Configuration:
🖼️ Single lane traffic with 2 lanes in the opposite direction.
- •Edge of Carriageway:
🖼️ Edge of carriageway, other than at junctions, exits from private drives and lay-bys. Used on the left-hand side of the road and alongside the central reservation of dual carriageway roads.
- •Raised Ribs (Audible warning):
🖼️ Alternative edge of carriageway marking, with raised ribs to provide audible and tactile warnings when the line is being crossed. They are used on motorways and other roads with hard shoulders or hard marginal strips.
- •Edge at Junction/Lane Drop:
🖼️ Edge of main carriageway at a junction where a slip road or lane leaves or joins, at an exit from a private drive or at a lay-by. Also used to divide the main carriageway from a traffic lane that leaves the main carriageway at a junction ahead (lane drop).
- •Edge with Give Way:
🖼️ Edge of main carriageway at a junction or at an exit from a private drive. Used in conjunction with ‘give way’ markings on the side road.
3. Waiting and Loading Restrictions
Restrictions applied along the edge of the carriageway to control parking and delivery.
- •Double yellow lines: No waiting at any time.
- •Single yellow lines: Waiting prohibited during times specified on nearby yellow time plates.
- •Red routes: Double red lines mean no stopping at any time (including passenger drop-off). Single red lines mean no stopping during times shown on upright signs.
- •Loading restrictions: Indicated by yellow marks on the kerb. Double marks mean no loading at any time; single marks mean no loading during specified periods.
4. Junctions and Roundabouts
Markings within intersections defining right-of-way and vehicle movement.
#### General Junctions and Box Junctions
🖼️ Junction with traffic signals:
- •Signalled Junction:
🖼️ junction with traffic signals
- •Yellow Box Junctions: These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road. You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right. At signalled roundabouts you must not enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.
🖼️ yellow box
- •Segregated Left-Turn:
🖼️ mini roundabout segregated left turn lane
6. Traffic Lanes and Worded Markings
- •Traffic lanes at junctions: White arrows on the road indicate the appropriate traffic lanes for different movements at a junction ahead.
#### Roundabout Configurations
- •Roundabouts: Some roundabouts have lane markings to guide drivers to the appropriate exit. Some have yellow bar markings on the approach; these become closer together the nearer you are to the roundabout and provide a warning to drivers to slow down. Some conventional roundabouts may have a segregated left-turn lane where drivers do not give way to traffic on the roundabout.
- •Conventional Roundabout:
🖼️ Conventional roundabout
- •Mini-roundabouts: A mini-roundabout is normally found on a road with a speed limit of 30 mph or less. It should be treated the same as a conventional roundabout. You must give way to traffic from the right, and keep to the left of the white circle unless the size of your vehicle or the junction layout makes driving over it unavoidable.
- •Mini-Roundabout:
🖼️ Mini roundabout
- •Typical Mini-Roundabout:
🖼️ Typical mini-roundabout junction
#### Lanes and Worded Instructions
- •Directional Arrows:
🖼️ Appropriate traffic lanes for different movements at junction ahead. A double-headed arrow is used where 2 different movements may be made from the same lane or where that lane divides into 2 or more lanes ahead (e.g. a lane with a combined ‘left’ and ‘ahead’ arrow may divide into a left-turn lane and an ahead lane).
- •Compulsory movements: Worded road markings such as 'TURN LEFT', 'AHEAD ONLY', or 'TURN RIGHT' indicate compulsory traffic movements.
🖼️ Compulsory traffic movements at a junction ahead. These may apply to a specific traffic lane or to all traffic approaching the junction.
- •Turning Direction:
🖼️ Direction to be taken by traffic turning within a junction.
- •Destination Lanes:
🖼️ Appropriate traffic lanes for particular destinations.
- •Chevron markings: These are used to separate traffic lanes or to protect turning traffic. If the chevrons are bordered by broken white lines, vehicles should not enter the area unless it is safe to do so. If the chevrons are bordered by continuous solid white lines, you MUST NOT enter the area except in an emergency.
5. Worded Markings and Reflective Road Studs
White zig-zag or worded markings indicating an area of the carriageway (e.g., outside a school or hospital) to be kept clear of stationary traffic.
🖼️ Area of carriageway to be kept clear of stationary traffic, usually to allow the passage of vehicles into or out of a side road or access. The white bars may be omitted.
- •LOOK LEFT / LOOK RIGHT: Markings warning pedestrians of the direction in which they should look before crossing the road.
🖼️ Direction in which pedestrians should look before crossing the road (particularly in a one-way street or where there is a contraflow bus lane).
- •No Entry Marking: Must not pass.
🖼️ Vehicles must not pass this marking. May be used with the upright ‘no entry’ sign.
- •Slow Marking: Associated with hazards.
🖼️ Associated with a hazard. There will normally be an upright warning sign.
#### Reflective Road Studs
These are used with white lines to help you navigate at night or in poor visibility:
- •White studs: Mark the lanes or the middle of the road.
- •Red studs: Mark the left edge of the road.
- •Amber studs: Mark the central reservation of a dual carriageway or motorway.
- •Green studs: Mark the edge of the main carriageway at lay-bys and slip roads.
- •Green/yellow studs: Indicate temporary adjustments to lane layouts, e.g. where road works are taking place.
🖼️ Road studs