---
title: "Can you trust a road closed sign? "
description: "'Road ahead closed' signs failing drivers, says RAC"
date: 2026-05-18
url: https://www.drivingmasters.uk/news/road-closed-sign
type: article
---

# Can you trust a road closed sign? 

More than half of UK drivers (57%) think red 'road ahead closed' signs are uninformative, according to [new research published by the RAC](https://media.rac.co.uk/drivers-say-road-ahead-closed-signs-are-uninformative-and-need-to-be-improved). The poll of 1,672 drivers, conducted last year found widespread frustration with closure signage and a striking unwillingness to follow the official yellow diversion routes that go with it.

## Which Road?!

The complaint is not with the existance of the signs but with what they don't tell you. In an age of information overload, the knackered old signs often fail to clarify which road it is that's impassable.

Of the drivers who find them uninformative, 60% said the signs fail to state which road is actually closed. A further 56% said there's no indication of how far ahead the closure is. Another 15% said they simply don't trust that the signage is up to date, which is a polite way of saying they've been sent on a wild goose chase before.

## Ignoring Diversions

Here is the more interesting finding for anyone interested in road safety: only 30% of drivers said they always follow the yellow diversion signs after seeing a 'road ahead closed'. The other 70% are making their own arrangements.

Let's face it, with the number of diversions in place these days, they often overlap, delivering nothing but confusion for the hapless motorist if they're not local.

## What the RAC wants changed

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said the current signs are "not fit for purpose" and called on councils and their contractors to include more detail: which road is closed, ideally how long for, and clearer information about the alternative route. An overwhelming 93% of all drivers in the poll were in favour of more information being provided.

The ask is hardly complicated. Naming the closed road on the sign, the way variable-message signs on motorways routinely do, would address the largest single complaint. Whether councils have the appetite, or the procurement framework, to retrofit thousands of standard signs is a different question.

## What this means for drivers now

Until the signs improve, the practical advice is unchanged. Treat 'road ahead closed' as reliable. Treat the diversion as the safer route even when it adds miles. Use sat-nav as a second opinion, not a first one. And if you find yourself frequently caught out by closures, the answer isn't a better app. It's earlier observation and a longer planning horizon, which is something an [advanced driving course](/advanced-driving-courses/new-drivers) is built to teach.

The RAC's findings are unlikely to change council signage overnight. But they do confirm something most experienced drivers already suspect: a sign that tells you what has happened, without telling you what to do about it, isn't really doing its job.