Width limitUnited Kingdom
Traffic rules
United Kingdom
1. Width limit
A width limit prohibits vehicles or vehicle combinations whose total width exceeds the value shown from entering or passing a road section, bridge, tunnel, gateway or other narrow passage. The width includes the vehicle’s load and any equipment or objects extending from its sides.
Drivers must know the maximum travelling width of their vehicle and load, observe advance warnings and use an alternative route when necessary. They should never enter when sufficient lateral clearance is uncertain.
What does a posted vehicle-width restriction mean in the United Kingdom?
A British regulatory width-limit roundel prohibits vehicles wider than the indicated value. Modern signs generally show metric and imperial units. Watch for restrictions on narrow roads even when no physical barrier is visible.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rule 109; width-limit roundel and exemptions
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: regulatory signs (Great Britain)
Vehicles wider than indicated prohibited.
English • GB diagram 629A • Maximum width. Vehicles wider than the stated 2.0 m / 6 ft 6 in must not proceed. Include the load when checking width.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Legislation.gov.uk • Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions • Great Britain
🔗 Gov.uk • Department for Transport • Know your traffic signs
SVG source: UK Government • Public domain • Original revision 2011-12-10. Wikimedia original unmodified.
How should you check the width of a loaded vehicle in the United Kingdom?
Check the vehicle and any projecting load or equipment. The legal measurement may exclude particular fittings such as mirrors, depending on local rules, but those fittings still need physical space to pass safely. Never assume the statutory measurement guarantees sufficient real-world clearance.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rule 109; width-limit roundel and exemptions
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: regulatory signs (Great Britain)
Can a driver ignore a width restriction if the road looks wide enough in the United Kingdom?
No. A regulatory width limit must be obeyed unless an applicable exemption or authorised arrangement permits entry. Check your route before driving a wide van, trailer or load through a narrow town, bridge or roadworks section.
🔗 gov.uk • Great Britain Highway Code: Rule 109; width-limit roundel and exemptions
🔗 gov.uk • DfT Know Your Traffic Signs: regulatory signs (Great Britain)
