One way

What it means

This sign marks a road on which all traffic must move in the single direction shown by the arrow. Cities use one-way streets to move high volumes through narrow corridors, and the system only works if every driver honours the direction. Driving against it puts you head-on into traffic that has no reason to expect you, and on narrow streets there is often no room to pass or escape. The arrow tells you which way to go before you commit to the street, which matters most at the moment you are turning onto it.

How it gets misread

The commonest error is reading the sign as describing the lane rather than the whole street, and turning against it because your intended direction feels close. Another is assuming the sign applies only to through traffic and that a short hop the wrong way is tolerated.

What to do

Turn in the direction of the arrow and never enter the street against it. Before turning, check that the lane you will enter is the one you need, because on a one-way street you cannot simply turn around when you miss your turn; you continue to the next block and work your way back through the grid.

More regulatory signs

• Keep right →
• Left lane must turn left →

Browse all road signs