What is this sign?

Harrysdad2

My wife has just shown me this thread - the sign was put up by me 10 or 12 years ago. There are a whole range of prescribed warning signs (not all appear in the Highway Code) with symbols in the red triangle. In this case, there are two points where vehicles can cross the wide central reservation to get in or out of the industrial premises on the west side of the road. The only exit from one of the factories is to turn left onto the Ring Road and then to U-turn at the next gap if they want to travel back towards the M621. There is no prescribed warning sign for a U-turn, but the road layout needed one so I used other standard symbols to make one.It's clear from the thread that most know what it means - which is the important bit! The only alternative would have been to use the triangle with an exclamation mark in it, but that leaves you guessing what it is for...

Harrysdad2

For those interested, all traffic signs and lines are shown in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002. There have been amendments since and a new version is due out in 2015. You can find it by googling tsrgd 2002 and clicking on the first entry at legislation .gov.uk (sorry - can't post the proper link...)

Lum

Looks like a USB symbol from a distance.

Therefore I've decided it's a warning sign to watch out for muppets who aren't paying attention as they're trying to plug in their phone chargers.

Richard53

I read it as "there is a break in the central reservation ahead which you may use for a U-turn" (and warning of others doing the same).


As for the shape of the sign:


Circles give orders, triangles warn, rectangles inform.


Red circles prohibit something, blue circles give mandatory instructions.


https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/222621/dg_191955.pdf

lighting_up_the_chalice

It's an upside-down smiley face to remind people they are in Leeds. :-(

LandyAndy

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Not even sure if there is a list of offical signs even? I know this one thats not far from us isnt in my copy of the highway code

We have lots of those round here, too.


I thought they meant 'saucepan in road'

bob_a_builder

Re - the OP sign

Surely, it would have made more sense if the internal part of the sign was the other way up to warn of other carriage way U turning in to yours

Otherwise it can be mis-understood that your carriageway offers the ability to U turn ahead

Although we more are normal informed about NO U turns from our carriageway rather than the possibility of doing a Uee

System

Harrysdad2 wrote: »

My wife has just shown me this thread - the sign was put up by me 10 or 12 years ago. There are a whole range of prescribed warning signs (not all appear in the Highway Code) with symbols in the red triangle. In this case, there are two points where vehicles can cross the wide central reservation to get in or out of the industrial premises on the west side of the road. The only exit from one of the factories is to turn left onto the Ring Road and then to U-turn at the next gap if they want to travel back towards the M621. There is no prescribed warning sign for a U-turn, but the road layout needed one so I used other standard symbols to make one.It's clear from the thread that most know what it means - which is the important bit! The only alternative would have been to use the triangle with an exclamation mark in it, but that leaves you guessing what it is for...

But not knowing the road layout and meeting it for the first time at night then my initial reaction was 'that's a weird sign and I haven't a clue what it means'. Whereas an exclamation mark would have indicated that there is something but care may be needed. An undocumented sign (I still can't find it in the TSRGD) is pointless. You dreamt this up because you knew the road layout well and it made sense. It doesn't make sense if you don't know the road which was my situation.

I am not being nasty when I say that to design road signs based on an intimate knowledge of the road rather than designing for somebody who doesn't know the road is a poor way of doing things.

People here have guessed at a U turn type thing but that is having time to sit and think about it, not seeing the sign and only having seconds before being in the area that it applies to still thinking what it meant. And by the time that you think you know the answer you are half a mile up the road.

Throbbe

Strider590 wrote: »

Space invaders in the road..... ?

Frank Zappa Ahead?

booksurr

it is not directly related to U turns

it is a general warning (hence triangle) that you are approaching a break (crossing point) in the central "reservation" of the dual carriageway (hence 2 lines with a gap are shown) and therefore you need to be aware that vehicles may turn out (hence the bend shape) in front of you.
It is not intended to be directional, hence it appears to be "upside down" with respect to the direction of traffic

as such it differentiates from the rectangular sign to instruct you to cross over the central reservation on to the other carriageway when you are entering a contraflow/road works section where the traffic is diverted to do just that

the no U turns is a prohibition sign so is circular and as you well know has a diagonal band to "cross it out"