The answer options
- Obstruction in 50 metres
- Temporary maximum speed 50mphCorrect
- Temporary minimum speed 50mph
- No stopping for 50 miles
Why the other options are wrong
- “Obstruction in 50 metres” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which temporary maximum speed 50mph does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
- “Temporary minimum speed 50mph” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which temporary maximum speed 50mph does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
- “No stopping for 50 miles” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which temporary maximum speed 50mph does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
Why that is the answer
This electronic matrix sign shows a temporary maximum speed limit of 50 mph. On motorways, these variable limits are used to smooth traffic flow, manage congestion, or keep you safe from hazards and roadworks ahead. You must not drive faster than the speed displayed. It is not a minimum speed limit, which is represented by a blue circle, nor does the number refer to distance or obstruction location.
What road and traffic signs covers
- · Shape and colour rules for orders, warnings and information
- · Regulatory signs including no entry, no waiting and weight limits
- · Warning triangles for bends, junctions, crossings and gradients
- · Road markings: give way lines, hatching, box junctions, edge lines
Mistakes learners repeat on this topic
- · Reading a blue circle as advice rather than a compulsory instruction
- · Confusing the no-entry sign with the no-motor-vehicles sign
- · Assuming hatched areas bordered by a broken line may never be entered
- · Missing that the end-of-restriction sign returns you to the national limit, not to 30
Instructor tip: Answer from the shape first, then check the pictogram — it stops you second-guessing on the look-alike pairs.
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?