People don't understand what 'no return within one hour' road sign actually means

Motorists are only just discovering the real meaning of a very common road sign.

If you’ve passed your driving test, you probably assume you’re pretty au fait with road signs - but it’s safe to say that the odd one or two leave some folks stumped.

Such as the one that one bloke reckons ‘99 percent of drivers don’t know it means’.

The sign in question is circular, featuring a white backdrop with a single black stripe through the middle at a 45-degree angle.

The RAC website explains, saying: "A white circular sign with a single black diagonal stripe through it tells you that the national speed limit applies on the upcoming stretch of road. It supersedes any previous speed limit signs you may have had to adhere to, such as passing through temporary roadworks."

It adds: "Of course, even when the national speed limit applies, it might not always be safe to drive at that speed, so use your common sense on this."

So that’s that sorted - but what about this one? A plain white sign with the words ‘No return within 1 hour’ written across the bottom - any guesses?

Well, driving expert Annie, who posts car-related content on her TikTok account @theorytestpractice, has given a quick explainer.

In a clip, she said: "I've been asked to explain signs like this one. This sign says that between Monday and Saturday, you can park between 8am and 6pm, but only for one hour.

"No return within one hour - that simply means you're not allowed to drive out of your parking space, drive around the block, and go straight back into that parking space. Well, not for an hour anyway."

She added: "At other times you can park for as long as you want to."

Did you guys know that? Because it turns out a lot of people didn’t.

Responding to Annie’s clip, one person said: “I literally have read these signs my whole life and only just realised I didn’t understand the last line until you said it”

Another commented: “I always thought it meant you couldn't leave for one hour after parking.”

While a third wrote: “I always thought no return within 1 hour meant, you’re not allowed to come back to the car for at least an hour.”

Even with Annie’s very helpful explanation some people admitted to still being confused about what it meant - so don’t feel too bad if you were clueless, too.