Mandatory signs and direction of travel
| What the rule says | What you do | Where it goes wrong | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round blue arrow (D) | Chapter D of Annex 1 is called “Direction of travel”. The signs PRESCRIBE a direction, and art. 62 obliges road users to obey such signs. | Take the indicated direction, even when another direction looks physically possible. | Taking blue for “information” because it is not red. Here the colour means an order, not a ban — and an order binds just as much. |
| Arrow on the road surface | At a junction the direction of your turning lane is COMPULSORY. And a sign's application may be limited to one or more lanes (art. 65(1)). | Choose your lane before the junction, and if you get it wrong, follow the indicated direction and turn round later. | Going straight at the last moment from a turning lane. That breaches art. 78(1) and surprises whoever is beside you. |
| “Except” on the plate | If the plate says “uitgezonderd” with symbols, the sign does NOT apply to those road users. | Look for the word before reading the symbols — it reverses the plate's meaning. | Reading symbols without the word as an exemption. Without “uitgezonderd” the symbols LIMIT the sign to that group. |
| Order against ordinary rule | Art. 63 lets traffic signs prevail over the traffic rules in so far as they are incompatible — a mandatory sign therefore beats your habit. | At a blue mandatory sign do not check whether it is “logical”, just follow it. | Reading “incompatible” too widely. The sign replaces only the rule it clashes with; priority, distance and speed keep applying. |
The law itself
RVV1990 art. 62RVV1990 art. 78 lid 1RVV1990 art. 67 lid 1RVV1990 art. 65 lid 1RVV1990 art. 63
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