Drivers baffled at ‘UK’s most confusing road sign’ that could see drivers faced with £70 fine

Drivers have been left baffled by the ‘UK’s most confusing road sign’ - with most motorists unaware that ignoring it can land you with a £70 fine.

There's no doubt that the vast majority of drivers have no idea what most of Britain's road signs mean.

There are, of course, the easily understandable ones such as speed limits and stop signs, but after that, UK road signs feel like a chore to memorise for your driving test before resigning them to the depths of your memory.

Unsurprisingly, not keeping up-to-date with the different signs and symbols dotted along UK roads can lead you into trouble, especially if traffic wardens catch you doing the exact opposite of what a sign is telling you.

However it would appear that there is one particular sign which confuses drivers more than any of the others.

It features a round blue circle with a red prohibited symbol overlayed with a red diagonal strip, from top left to bottom right. Take a look at it below:

Any idea what this means? (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Usually accompanied by the words 'Controlled Zone' and a time period, you'd be surprised as to how many drivers actually don't know what this means.

It stumps several motorists, but what it means is that drivers in this area should refrain from waiting any longer than necessary - though a brief stop is allowed, perhaps to drop someone off, you shouldn't wait any longer, according to the law.

These signs can be found in busy spots near city centres, or near train stations as traffic shouldn't be affected by stop-start cars.

But the lack of clarity of these signs leaves many of the country's drivers scratching their heads, especially given the fact that the 'no stopping' sign is incredibly similar.

In fact, all it does is add a diagonal red stripe in the other direction, though it means something more extreme.

It's easy to get the two signs mixed up. (INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)

Birmingham Live report that a driver caught in a no waiting zone for too long could be hit with a £70 fine, and even up to three penalty points, so you'll want to steer clear.

According to car insurance experts at Marshmallow, drivers mix up the no waiting and no stopping sign a lot more than you think.

They warn: "Drivers are warned the no waiting sign means they can drop off or pick up a passenger in this area but only wait a short while. They are urged to avoid long waiting times and always check the times that the sign is enforced to avoid fines.

"The no stopping sign, often confused with the 'no waiting' sign, indicates that drivers are prohibited from stopping their vehicles under any circumstances in the designated area."

So one diagonal line means wait a bit, two diagonal lines means keep going. Steer clear of those fines, lads!

Additional words by Brenna Cooper.