Give wayUnited Kingdom
Traffic rules
United Kingdom
16. Give way
A give-way sign requires drivers to allow traffic with priority to proceed before entering, crossing or joining a road. Drivers must reduce speed, observe approaching traffic and stop when necessary.
Unlike a stop sign, a give-way sign does not always require a complete stop. The driver may continue without stopping only when the route is clearly safe and no road user with priority is forced to change speed or direction.
Wikimedia.org • Geof_Sheppard • CC BY-SA
What does giving way mean in the United Kingdom?
In Great Britain, Give Way signs and the transverse broken white lines require yielding to traffic on the main road. Northern Ireland has its own Highway Code; use the applicable local signs and rules.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rules 170–172: main-road traffic and safe entry
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: regulatory signs (Great Britain)
Give way.
English • GB diagram 602 • Give way. Give way to traffic on the major road. Stop if necessary before proceeding safely.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org (Government of the United Kingdom • Crown copyright • OGL v1.0)
🔗 Legislation.gov.uk • Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions • Great Britain
🔗 Gov.uk • Department for Transport • Know your traffic signs
SVG source: Government of the United Kingdom • OGL v1.0 • Original revision 2016-07-03. Wikimedia original unmodified. © Crown copyright. Traffic signs are Crown copyright. You may reproduce traffic signs free of charge and without having to seek permission, but you must reproduce them accurately and not in a misleading context (e.g. not on roadside billboards where they could mislead drivers). (ref [1])
Artwork verified against Gov.uk • official published diagram 602.
Current design and permitted variants verified against Legislation.gov.uk • TSRGD, current text.
Must you always stop when giving way in the United Kingdom?
In Great Britain, Give Way requires yielding to the main-road traffic; stop if necessary. A Stop sign and its stop line require a complete stop. Northern Ireland has a separate Highway Code.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rules 170–172: main-road traffic and safe entry
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: regulatory signs (Great Britain)
What should you check before proceeding after giving way in the United Kingdom?
Wait until the manoeuvre is safe. Check the priority traffic, the view in both directions and enough space to complete the entry. Giving way to one vehicle does not remove duties towards another driver, a cyclist or a pedestrian.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rules 170–172: main-road traffic and safe entry
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: regulatory signs (Great Britain)
