What does this sign mean?

Why that is the answer

Red circular signs give orders and usually tell you what you must not do. This sign features a car and a motorcycle inside a red ring, which prohibits all motor vehicles from entering the area. Candidates often wrongly choose cars and motorcycles only because of the pictures, but red circles prohibit rather than permit. Blue circular signs are used for positive instructions. Refer to the Highway Code to learn your sign shapes and colours.

How this comes up in the real test

Questions from road and traffic signs appear throughout the 50-question multiple-choice section, and the wording changes between versions. Learn the rule rather than the sentence: the DVSA can ask the same point from the opposite direction, and a memorised answer falls over the moment the phrasing moves.

The pass mark is 43 out of 50, so seven wrong answers is your entire margin. If a whole category is shaky, run the topic practice below until you are getting every question right for the right reason, then go back to full mocks under the clock.

More road and traffic signs questions

• A police car is following you. If a police officer gestures to go left while flashing their headlights, what should you do?
• After turning at a junction you should ensure your indicators are cancelled promptly. Why is this?
• At traffic lights, what does it mean when the amber light shows on its own?
• How can you identify traffic signs that give orders?
• How should one indicate a left turn with their arms?