Built-up area
Built-up area
Written by Chris Prosman Reviewed by Dirk van Zuijlen
Updated
- Sign code
- H1
- Category
- Built-up area
- Traffic signs
- Start of the built-up area.
H1 marks the start of a built-up area. The place name on the blue sign is therefore more than route information: you enter an area where certain traffic rules change. An ordinary car is generally limited to 50 km/h inside, unless signed otherwise.
What to do at this sign
Read other signs at the boundary too. A zone or local speed restriction may prescribe a lower maximum. Adapt to more junctions, pedestrians and cyclists; the boundary sign does not guarantee the same layout in every street.
Example on the road
You pass H1 together with a 30 zone sign. The zone limit is 30, not 50. The general built-up-area rule applies only where another applicable restriction does not take precedence. A place-name direction sign without H1 boundary status has a different function.
Other conditions to check
A built-up area is a legally defined area, not simply a judgement based on the number of houses. Particular vehicles and manoeuvres may have their own rules. Use the boundary sign together with other instructions rather than estimating the density of buildings.
How to recognise the sign
Read the image, arrows and any text on sign H1; they distinguish this version within the built-up area category.
Difference from H2 — End of built-up area
H1 begins the built-up area. H2 crosses out the place-name indication and ends it.
H2 — End of built-up areaLegal basis
Frequently asked questions
- Is 50 always permitted inside a built-up area?
- No. A lower signed limit, zone or special vehicle rule may apply.
- Do the houses determine whether I am inside?
- The indicated boundary matters; the amount of building alone is not a reliable boundary.
Explained in the course
Practise this sign for your theory exam
Built-up area belongs to the Built-up area 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