Give way to oncoming traffic
Official name: Drivers may not proceed when traffic approaches from the opposite direction
Other mandatory and prohibitory signs
Written by Chris Prosman Reviewed by Dirk van Zuijlen
Updated
- Sign code
- F5
- Category
- Other mandatory and prohibitory signs
- Traffic signs
- Do not proceed when traffic is approaching from the opposite direction.
F5 prohibits proceeding when traffic approaches from the opposite direction. The circular red-bordered sign is used at a narrow passage. You wait for oncoming traffic; the forward red arrow does not give you priority.
What to do at this sign
Slow before the narrowing and check for oncoming vehicles. Wait where the other vehicle can pass without swerving. Proceed only when you can do so without obstructing approaching traffic.
Example on the road
Two cars approach a narrow bridge together. Your side has F5 and the other side F6. Wait before the bridge and let the other car pass. Your vehicle colour or size does not alter that arrangement.
Other conditions to check
Use a passage only when it is genuinely clear. Do not force your way in while another vehicle is already in the narrow section. A carriageway-narrowing warning sign describes a hazard but does not provide this same arrangement between opposing drivers.
How to recognise the sign
A circular red-bordered sign; read its symbol, text or number for the precise restriction.
Difference from F6 — Priority over oncoming traffic
F5 is circular and requires you to wait for oncoming traffic. F6 is blue and rectangular: opposing drivers must let traffic from your direction pass.
F6 — Priority over oncoming trafficLegal basis
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have priority at the circular sign?
- No. F5 prohibits you from proceeding when traffic approaches from the opposite direction.
- Can I identify the rule just from a red arrow?
- No. Also read the shape and the complete combination of arrows.
Explained in the course
Practise this sign for your theory exam
Give way to oncoming traffic belongs to the Other mandatory and prohibitory signs 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
