Dead endUnited Kingdom
Traffic rules
United Kingdom
14. Dead end
A dead-end road is a road that does not provide a through route for some or all vehicles. It may end completely, terminate at a barrier or continue as a path that only certain road users may use.
Drivers may normally enter a dead-end road to reach homes, businesses, parking places or other destinations, but they must be prepared to turn around or leave by the same route. Signs may indicate that pedestrians or cyclists can continue beyond the point where motor traffic cannot.
Wikimedia.org • Nigel Brown • CC BY-SA
What does a dead-end indication mean in the United Kingdom?
In Great Britain, a No through road sign describes the route. It is different from No entry or a prohibition applying to a vehicle class. Northern Ireland has its own Highway Code.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rules 109,124–126; no-through-road information
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: information signs (Great Britain)
Dead end street.
English • GB diagram 816 • No through road. The road indicated is a no-through road; the pictured arrangement shows a side road that does not continue through.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org (UK Government • 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: UK Government • OGL v1.0 • Original revision 2014-08-11. 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 817R.
Current design and permitted variants verified against Legislation.gov.uk • TSRGD, current text.
Can pedestrians or cyclists continue beyond a motor-traffic dead end in the United Kingdom?
Check any indication of a pedestrian or cycle continuation and the signs on that route. The no-through information alone does not make every footpath a cycle route.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rules 109,124–126; no-through-road information
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: information signs (Great Britain)
Does a dead-end indication change speed or priority rules in the United Kingdom?
The no-through information itself does not assign junction priority or a numerical speed limit. Continue to obey the actual speed, access, parking and priority controls. If you need to turn around, use a suitable lawful place, check for pedestrians and cyclists, and do not obstruct the space needed for other vehicles to turn.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rules 109,124–126; no-through-road information
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: information signs (Great Britain)
