Curve ahead

What it means

This warning sign tells you the road bends to the right within your stopping distance, and it gives you the geometry early enough to set a safe speed before the curve starts. It appears where the bend is sharp enough that carrying a straight-road speed into it would push a vehicle toward the outside edge. The sign describes the road, not a legal limit: how fast you can take the curve depends on your vehicle, its tyres and load, and the surface on the day.

How it gets misread

A common misread is treating the sign as a speed instruction to brake hard at the point where the curve begins, or conversely ignoring it because the bend looks mild in dry conditions. The warning is about entering too fast, which shows up as understeer long before it shows up as a skid.

What to do

Set your speed while you are still on the straight, braking before the curve rather than inside it. Look through the bend toward where the road goes rather than at the edge line, keep both hands on the wheel, and leave a margin below what feels like the limit, because gravel, damp patches and oncoming vehicles wide on the line all shrink it further.

Practise this rule

• Slow Down Before the Curve, Not Inside It

  A sharp curve ahead carries an advisory speed plaque below the warning sign. When should you slow to that speed?

More warning signs

• Winding road →
• Crossroad ahead →

Browse all road signs