2.2 Prohibitory & Regulatory Signs

2.2 Prohibitory & Regulatory Signs

Quick Answer: Prohibitory signs are circular with a red border and tell you what you must not do — no entry, no overtaking, no U-turn, speed limits, no horn. Two regulatory signs break the circle rule by design: the octagonal red Stop sign and the inverted triangular Give Way sign, whose unique shapes make them identifiable even from the back.

What "Prohibitory" Means

A prohibitory sign imposes a legally enforceable restriction on every driver who passes it: a red circle, usually on a white background, with a black symbol of the forbidden action. Ignoring one is an offence under the Road Traffic Act, and the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority) test expects both the meaning and the correct behaviour.

Two details earn marks on the exam:

• A red diagonal slash across a symbol either reinforces the prohibition or, on a grey background, marks the end of a restriction (for example, end of a speed limit or end of the no-overtaking zone).
• A number inside a red circle is always a maximum, never a recommendation: 50 means 50 km/h is the ceiling, and conditions may require less.

Stop and Give Way: The Priority Regulators

The Stop sign is a red octagon with the word STOP in white. It is the only eight-sided sign on Ghanaian roads, recognizable even if the face is turned away from you. When you meet it you must bring the vehicle to a complete stop at the solid white stop line — even if the road ahead looks empty — and then give way to all traffic on the major road before proceeding. A rolling slowdown is an offence.

The Give Way sign is an inverted triangle (point down) with a red border and white interior — again, the only sign of that shape. It means slow down and give way to traffic on the major road; you need only stop if traffic makes it necessary. It is usually paired with double broken white lines across your lane. Remember the difference the exam loves: Stop always requires a full stop; Give Way requires priority to others, with a stop only when needed.

Entry and Movement Prohibitions

• No entry: a red circle with a single white horizontal bar. No vehicle may enter — you see it at the exit ends of one-way streets in central Accra and at motorway ramps.
• Road closed to all vehicles (both directions): a red circle with a blank white centre. No vehicular traffic at all may proceed.
• No left turn / no right turn: a black turning arrow inside the red circle, often with a red slash. Common where a turn would block traffic flow.
• No U-turn: a black U-shaped arrow crossed by a red slash. Posted near toll plazas, median breaks, and congested junctions.
• No overtaking: two cars side by side inside the red circle, with the overtaking car shown in red. The restriction runs until an end-of-restriction sign or the next junction. A variant applies the ban to goods vehicles only.

Speed Limit Signs

A red circle with a black number on white sets a maximum speed in kilometres per hour. Ghana's general limits are 50 km/h in urban areas (30 km/h in school, health-facility, church, mosque, and market zones), 90 km/h on any non-motorway road outside a built-up area, and 100 km/h on motorways. A posted limit sign overrides the general rule for that stretch. The end of a limit is shown by a grey circle with a black diagonal slash, or simply by the next limit sign. Treat the number as a ceiling, not a target.

Parking, Stopping, Noise, and Vehicle Restrictions

• No parking: a blue circle with a red border and one red diagonal slash. You may stop briefly to pick up or set down passengers or goods, but you may not wait or leave the vehicle.
• No stopping (no waiting): a blue circle with a red border and a red cross (two slashes). No stopping at any time, even momentarily to drop someone off. Learn this pair together — examiners test the contrast directly.
• No horn (silence zone): a black horn symbol with a red slash. Posted near hospitals and courts; hooting is prohibited except to prevent danger.
• Weight, height, and width limits: red circles showing a figure such as 5.5t (tonnes) or a height like 3.8 m. These protect weak bridges and low overpasses; drivers of trotros, trucks, and buses must know their vehicle's dimensions.
• No pedestrians: a pedestrian silhouette inside a red circle — used where walking is dangerous, such as motorway-type roads where a footbridge is provided.
• No bicycles: a bicycle silhouette in a red circle, banning cyclists from fast or dangerous stretches.

Prohibitory vs Mandatory: The Key Distinction

Both are circular and both are orders, but the colour tells you the direction of the order. A red circle prohibits — you must not do the thing shown. A blue circle mandates — you must do the thing shown (covered in the next section). Disobeying either is an offence. If you remember only one line for the exam: red means NO, blue means MUST.