Information

These pages offer a quick way to look up information and learn about the British road network - a miniature reference library of useful knowledge and trivia.

Abbreviations

S2, D3, D4M - talk among road enthusiasts bristles with arcane abbreviations for different types of road. What do they mean? All is explained in our handy guide.

British Roads FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the road network, some more obscure than others.

Dictionary

A glossary of the terms often used by people discussing British roads. Some are engineering terms, some were created by road enthusiasts, some have multiple meanings. All are defined here as clearly as possible.

Interchanges

Explore the different types of interchange you'll find all over the UK on limited access roads — roads with flyover junctions that separate fast moving traffic from the local road network.

Road signs

They're everywhere, but what do they mean? Join us on a journey through the UK's road sign system, from the colours and shapes that form their building blocks to the meaning of the most complex parking restrictions.

What's new

Where did the M25 come from?

London’s notorious orbital motorway turns 40 years old today. Where did it come from - and why the number “25”?

The long way round

When a road is closed, why isn't the diversion route just the quickest way past the closure?

Signs and sensibility

The one great attempt to make London’s streets logical - and how one retired chauffeur’s favourite routes changed the way you get around the capital.

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Mistakes

Making road signs is a tricky business, but fortunately the professionals who design them get it right. Usually.

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