200 yards to escape lane ahead for vehicles unable to stop on a steep hill
Blue rectangular countdown sign warning that an escape lane (also called a run-off area) is 200 yards ahead. These gravel-filled lanes are a safety net for vehicles whose brakes overheat or fail on a steep downhill – if this happens you should steer into the escape lane and let the gravel safely stop you. The sign is there to give heavy goods vehicles and drivers with braking problems time to prepare. In the theory test this sign often appears in hazard-perception sequences to test whether you recognise the risk of brake fade on long descents and react by checking your brakes and selecting a lower gear early.
- Shape
- Rectangular
- Background
- Blue
- Border
- White
- Text type
- Other
- Primary symbol
- Arrow
- Secondary symbol
- Other
- Diagram reference
- 817.2
Where you'll see this sign
Steep downhill sections on motorways and major A roads.
Test yourself on UK road signs
How well do you really know your road signs? New Driver Hub's free mock theory test pulls from official-style DVSA questions and tells you which signs you keep getting wrong.
