No motor vehicles sign: what it means
The no motor vehicles sign means motor vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, must not go past it. Pedal cycles are not motor vehicles, so it does not ban them.
What it means
Red circles prohibit. This one shows a motorcycle and a car together, and Know your traffic signs describes it simply as no motor vehicles.
A plate under the sign can add exceptions, such as access to premises or land next to the road where there is no other route.
Quick quiz
Which of these may still pass a no motor vehicles sign that has no plate?
- A motorcycle
- A car
- A pedal cycle
Show answer
C. A pedal cycle. The sign bans motor vehicles, and a pedal cycle is not a motor vehicle. Source: The Highway Code, rule 109, GOV.UK; Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code: traffic signs, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Where you see it
At the entrance to roads, lanes or areas closed to motor traffic, sometimes with a plate showing times or exceptions.
A common mistake
Reading the motorcycle as permission for motorcycles. Both symbols are inside the red ring, so both are banned. A different sign bans motor vehicles except solo motorcycles.
Compare with
No vehicles signNo vehicles, except bicycles pushed by hand.
No entry signNo vehicles may go in from this side.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.