Drivers baffled after finding out meaning of UK road sign they have 'never seen before'

Road signs play a vital role in directing and informing drivers, but they can sometimes end up doing more harm than good when people struggle to understand them.

The majority are pretty self explanatory, however, there are a few less common ones which can confuse a lot of motorists.

We all know - or so I hope - that circular signs give orders, triangular signs give warnings and rectangular ones inform.

On the odd occasion, you might spot a sign in the latter group which displays a strange illustration that you just can't get your head around.

This has the potential to cause a lot of panic for the person behind the wheel, as you don't know whether you're breaking the rules or if you're still a law abiding citizen.

Thankfully, we've got people like driving expert Annie Winterburn to steer us in the right direction, so that we don't get caught out by ambiguous road signs.

She often shares tips for learners on her TikTok page @theorytestpractice, as well as advice that all UK motorists could benefit from hearing.

In a recent video, she discussed the meaning behind a road sign which mystified a lot of Brits.

The blue rectangular sign features an illustration of a car, with '2+' written on it, with two passengers inside and another lane at the side of it.

As well as this, there is also a list of times and days which indicate when these rules are in operation.

Loads of social media users admitted they didn't have a clue what it was supposed to signify and claimed that they had never even seen it before.

One said: "Wow, I have never seen this sign before."

Another wrote: "I am from Lancashire, I have never seen this sign in my 50 years of driving."

And a third added: "I have never seen it in my area."

Annie had all the answers to the bemused motorists questions and explained that although people often reckon it is 'pointless', it still has a valid purpose.

She said: "It's telling you that there are two lanes of traffic, both travelling up the road.

"You are only allowed to drive in the left hand lane at certain times, if you have at least two people in the car.

"So between Monday and Friday - between seven in the morning and nine in the morning and between four in the afternoon and 6pm - you have to have a passenger.

"If you don't have a passenger, then you'll be fined. Cameras will be watching your car and you'll get a fine if you don't have at least two people in the car."

She told her followers that they were usually positioned on 'really, really busy' roads, although she confessed she herself 'has not seen one for years'.

For those who are still clueless about the road signs meaning, it indicates that the road is splitting into a HOV lane, also known as a High-Occupancy Vehicle lane.

These are basically the UK version of carpool lanes and work similarly to bus lanes.

HOV lanes are for vehicles - other than lorries - which are carrying at least one passenger as well as the driver, hence the '2+' symbol on the sign.

According to the Department for Transport, the aim of these lanes is to 'reduce traffic congestion by encouraging car sharing' - essentially meaning that they want to entice people to travel together to minimise the number of cars on the road, which in turn eases congestion and reduces pollution from vehicles.

Those who carpool are encouraged by the incentive of dipping into a less congested lane and breezing past the traffic.

It sounds like a win-win really... so maybe we need to start seeing more of these signs around.