The 'soft verges' sign warns motorists that the ground alongside the metalled carriageway edge is soft, muddy, or unstable.
Driving onto a soft verge can pull wheels off course, cause loss of control, or sink your vehicle into deep mud.
What this sign means
This sign depicts a car with its side wheels dipping into a sloping road shoulder inside a red warning triangle.
It warns drivers that leaving the paved road surface could cause the vehicle to sink, slip, or roll into the ditch.
- Vehicle tilting into soft shoulder graphic
- Often accompanied by 'Soft verges for [X] miles' sub-plates
- Common on narrow rural lanes without kerbs
What to do when you see it
Keep your wheels firmly on the paved bitumen. When passing oncoming traffic on narrow lanes, adjust speed and avoid mounting the grass verge.
- Stay entirely within the paved roadway edge
- Use passing places rather than steering onto soft grass
- Maintain a steady steering grip if forced close to the edge
How this sign is tested
Theory questions focus on rural driving techniques, meeting oncoming vehicles on narrow roads, and maintaining steering control.
- Recognising country road warning signs
- Managing vehicle positioning on unkerbed roads
- Avoiding loss of control from uneven surface edges
Common mistakes
Steering sharply onto the grass verge at speed to let oncoming cars pass, leading to loss of control or getting stuck.
Test yourself on this one
Road and traffic signs is the biggest category in the question bank with 102 questions, and signs turn up inside other categories too. Work through them free, no sign-up needed.
Practise road sign questionsFrequently asked questions
What happens if my tyres drop onto a soft verge?
The tyre can sink rapidly into soft earth, pulling the steering wheel violently to the side and destabilising the car.
Should I use the verge to let another car pass?
No. Wait in a proper tarmac passing place or pull in where the edge is solid rather than driving onto soft grass.
Is this sign common on motorways?
No. Motorways have hard shoulders or emergency refuge areas. Soft verge signs are found on rural unkerbed roads.