Maximum height
Official name: Closed to vehicles higher than indicated (including load)
Prohibition
Written by Chris Prosman Reviewed by Dirk van Zuijlen
Updated
- Sign code
- C19
- Category
- Prohibition
- Traffic signs
- Closed to vehicles higher than 3.1 metres.
C19 closes the road to vehicles higher than the indicated value, including their load. The value is in metres. It may stand before a low underpass, where you need to know the total height before reaching a place where turning back is difficult.
What to do at this sign
Include equipment and load: a roof box, roof-mounted bicycles or material on a work van can change the height. The standard vehicle specification alone may therefore be insufficient. Establish the current overall height before proceeding.
Example on the road
A van normally fits under a bridge but now carries a ladder on its roof. At a height restriction, compare the highest part of the vehicle and load with the sign. A previous successful journey without the ladder does not establish that it will fit again.
Other conditions to check
The number on C19 is an access limit. Do not enter if your overall height exceeds it. Below that value, still consider the actual passage, road position and other obstacles; the sign does not guarantee clearance for every manoeuvre.
How to recognise the sign
A circular red-bordered sign; read its symbol, text or number for the precise restriction.
Difference from L1 — Underpass height
C19 is a circular closure sign. L1 provides information about an underpass clearance. Read shape and purpose together with the number.
L1 — Underpass heightLegal basis
Frequently asked questions
- Does a roof box count?
- Yes. Assess the height including equipment and load.
- Can I try if my vehicle is slightly higher than C19?
- No. The road is then closed to your vehicle.
Explained in the course
Practise this sign for your theory exam
Maximum height belongs to the Prohibition category. In the CBR theory exam a traffic sign is almost never asked on its own: you are shown a situation and have to know what you may or must do in it. In the free sign trainer you practise the signs by category, with the explanation shown right after every answer.
Practise traffic signs for free Practise car theory: free mock exam
