Wrong way

What it means

The wrong-way sign sits further along roads where do-not-enter signs guard the entrance, and it is the last warning you get while travelling against the flow of traffic. It is deliberately oversized and placed low near the pavement so that a driver already heading the wrong way, often at night, sees it at eye level. Meeting one means you are not merely approaching a restriction; you are already inside it, with normal-direction traffic possibly running straight at you with no separation at all.

How it gets misread

Some drivers read it as confirming they may reverse or make a U-turn on the spot regardless of traffic. The sign itself does not license any manoeuvre; it identifies that you are travelling against the flow and must leave that path immediately and safely.

What to do

Pull to the right edge and stop as soon as it is safe, then turn around when the road behind you is clear. If you are on a divided highway ramp, do not attempt a U-turn across traffic; back up only if the sightlines allow it, or stop, switch on hazard lights and follow the turnout guidance for the ramp you are on. Treat every oncoming headlight pair as a hazard moving toward you.

Practise this rule

• Red Rectangle With a White Bar | CO

  Nearly entering a ramp, a driver sees a red rectangular sign carrying white lettering and a white bar. What does it mean?

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