One-way street
Prohibition
- Sign code
- C3
- Category
- Prohibition
- Traffic signs
- One-way street.
Sign C3 marks a one-way street. You may only drive in the direction of the white arrow. At the other end of the street stands sign C2, no entry, so traffic cannot come in from that side.
What to do at sign C3
Follow the direction of the arrow. You may only use this road in that one direction, along the whole length of the street up to the next junction.
Turning around or reversing back down the street to go the other way is not allowed. If you took a wrong turn, drive on to the end of the street.
How to recognise the sign
C3 is a blue rectangular sign with a white arrow. In the RVV, blue and rectangular means the sign tells you how the road works rather than forbidding something.
That distinction comes up in the exam: a round sign with a red border prohibits something, a blue rectangular sign explains the situation.
One-way streets and cyclists
A one-way street does not automatically apply to cyclists. If the C2 sign at the far end carries a supplementary panel reading "uitgezonderd fietsers" or a bicycle symbol, cyclists may use the street in both directions.
So you can be driving down a one-way street and still meet oncoming cyclists. Keep that in mind when overtaking and when opening your door.
Where you will see it
One-way streets are most common in city centres and residential areas, where the street is too narrow for two-way traffic, and around shopping districts where traffic flow is managed.
C3 on the CBR theory exam
On the exam this sign is almost always about cyclists. You get a street with C3 and a question about whether you can expect oncoming traffic. Check whether a supplementary panel is in the picture.
Difference from C2, no entry
C2 and C3 belong together and stand at opposite ends of the same street. C3 says: you may drive here, in this direction. C2 says: you may not enter here. If you see C2, you are looking at the wrong end of a one-way street.
C2, no entryFrequently asked questions
- Can you reverse on a one-way street?
- Reversing briefly to park or pull out of a driveway is allowed, as long as you keep to the direction of the road. Reversing back down the whole street is not.
- What is the difference between C3 and C4?
- Nothing in meaning. C3 and C4 are the same sign for the two possible directions; only the arrow points the other way.
- Do one-way streets apply to cyclists?
- Not always. With an "uitgezonderd fietsers" panel, cyclists may use the street in both directions.
Practise this sign for your theory exam
One-way street 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.
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