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Regulatory sign

Give way to oncoming vehicles sign

Give way to oncoming vehicles sign: a red ring with a large black arrow pointing down and a smaller red arrow pointing up
Sign image: Department for Transport, © Crown copyright

What does the Give way to oncoming sign mean?

The road ahead is narrow. You must give priority to vehicles coming from the opposite direction before you go through.

Also known as: Priority to oncoming traffic sign

What it means

Where a road or bridge is very narrow, traffic from the other direction has priority. Wait until the way is clear, usually at a give way line.

The small red arrow is your direction and the larger black arrow is oncoming traffic, which has priority.

Drivers coming the other way see the blue 'priority over oncoming vehicles' sign: the other half of the pair.

Rules to know

  • Where a road or bridge is very narrow, priority must be given to traffic from the other direction. There will usually be a 'give way' line showing where to wait.

    Know Your Traffic Signs, p. 19

  • It is essential that you obey signs indicating priority to vehicles coming from the opposite direction.

    Know Your Traffic Signs, p. 86

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Going first because you reached the narrow section first.

    Instead: Oncoming traffic has priority. Wait at the give way line until the way through is clear.

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What does this sign mean?

White circle with a red border containing two vertical arrows: a small red one pointing up and a larger black one pointing down

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© Crown copyright. Free to reuse under the Open Government Licence v3.0, as long as the sign is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context.

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Sources

  • Know Your Traffic Signs (Department for Transport, Sixth edition, 2023), Regulatory signs, p. 19; Traffic calming, p. 86

Sign image: Department for Transport, Traffic sign images (diagram 615). © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Checked against these sources and reviewed by Bikash Thapa, full UK driving licence holder. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. This page explains the sign in our own words; for the full rules, see The Highway Code. How we source and check content