Road signs in the Northern Territory

Traffic signs warn you of possible dangers and provide information. They tell you what the rules are and what the road conditions are like.

Find out more below about the meaning of different road signs in the Territory.

If you are a visitor to the Northern Territory, get more information about staying safe on the roads from the Road Safety website.

Regulatory signs

Regulatory signs inform you of traffic laws or regulations. You must obey a regulatory sign or risk facing a penalty or traffic fine.

Regulatory signs are normally placed at the point or beginning of the section where the regulation applies.

They are rectangle in shape – except for the stop, give way and roundabout signs.

The signs are usually black on a white background but sometimes they also have a colour such as red or yellow.

Sign	Meaning
	Roundabout sign There is a roundabout ahead.
	Roundabout sign Give way to vehicles on the roundabout.
	Stop sign You must stop your car at the sign or stop line.
	Give way sign When turning at an intersection, you must give way.
	Wrong way sign You must turn your vehicle around and go back.
	Keep left sign You must drive to the left of this sign.
	Keep right sign You must drive to the right of the sign.
	One way sign You must only drive in the direction shown by the arrow.
	Two way sign This road now has two lanes of traffic travelling in opposite directions. You must drive to the centre of the road if there is no dividing lane.
	Right lane must turn right sign You must turn right at the intersection.
	Left lane must turn left sign You must turn left at the intersection.
	No Entry sign You must not drive beyond this sign.
	Left turn on red light permitted sign You can turn left on a red light after stopping where this sign is displayed. When turning left you must give way to all traffic approaching from the right.

Warning signs

Warning signs or advisory signs let you know that road changes are coming up on your drive, including potentially hazardous conditions on or near the road.

Warning signs are usually black on a yellow background and are mostly diamond shaped.

Sign	Meaning
	Yellow diamond cross sign You are coming up to a crossroad.
	Yellow diamond T sign The road you are driving on is about to end, you must give way to all traffic before turning right or left.
	Yellow diamond lane change sign The road you are driving on will change ahead to two lanes of oncoming traffic.
	Yellow diamond side on T sign The road you are driving on meets a side road to the right.
	Yellow diamond arrow sign – curve sign The road you're driving on curves to the right up ahead.
	Yellow diamond arrow sign – turn sign The road you're driving on turns sharply to the right up ahead.
	Yellow diamond hook arrow sign – hairpin bend The road you're driving on is about to take a sharp bend to the left ahead.
	Yellow diamond bendy arrow sign Winding road ahead.
	Yellow diamond Y sign Road divides ahead.
	Yellow diamond merging sign Divided road ends ahead.
	Yellow diamond bottle neck sign Road narrows ahead.
	Yellow diamond with red triangle sign Give way sign ahead
	Yellow diamond with red hexagon sign Stop sign ahead.
	Yellow diamond with arrow and walking legs sign Pedestrian crossing ahead.
	Yellow diamond with walking people sign Pedestrians might be crossing ahead.
	Yellow diamond with walking children sign Children might be crossing ahead.
	Yellow diamond with the word Hospital sign You must drive carefully as there is a hospital ahead.
	Yellow diamond with a bicycle sign You must look out for bicycle riders.
	Yellow diamond with a swerving car sign The road is slippery when wet.
	Yellow diamond with car on a hill sign There is a steep descent ahead.
	Yellow diamond with a truck sign Beware of slow moving vehicles entering traffic.
	Yellow rectangle with the words Traffic Hazard Ahead This sign is used where a temporary emergency situation such as an oil spill, fallen tree or landslip exists on the road ahead.
	Yellow diamond with two parallel indented lines sign There is a narrow bridge ahead on the road and you must slow down and be prepared to give way or stop.
	Yellow diamond with Narrow Bridge sign There is a narrow bridge coming up.
	Yellow diamond with the word Dip sign The road ahead dips into a sudden down and then up again.
	Yellow diamond with a bump sign There is a hump in the road ahead. A hump is a sudden slope up and then down.
	Yellow diamond with a kangaroo sign You must look out for kangaroos crossing the road.
	Yellow diamond with the word Crest sign As you approach the hill you may not be able to see a safe distance in front of you so drive carefully.
	Yellow diamond with the word Grid sign A grid – a row of metal lengths across the road – is coming up on the road.
	Yellow diamond with the word Causeway sign A causeway – which is a raised road that has been built across a low or wet place or a body of water – is coming up on the road you're driving on.
	Yellow diamond with a pole, cross and circle symbols There is a railway crossing and flashing signal ahead.
	Yellow diamond with a train sign You must look out for trains at a railway crossing that is coming up on the road.
	Early warning signals - Wig Wags You should prepare to stop at an intersection when you see a wig wag early warning sign with flashing lights.

Hazard signs

Sign	Meaning
	Yellow diamond sign with image of cattle Stock may be crossing ahead.

Variable message signs

Sign	Meaning
	Variable Message Signs You must obey the messages warning of changes to normal road conditions – eg: crashes, road works, congestion and road closures.

Roadwork signs

You must obey any signal from a traffic controller and give way to any worker.

Roadwork signs are used on roads to warn drivers and riders to slow down, look out for any hazards and be prepared to stop. They also show the travel path through, around or past work sites.

Roadwork signs are usually rectangular and have a reflective background, black border and symbol or legend and can be a combination of colours red and black, yellow and black and in some cases occasions black and yellow.

Sign	Meaning
	Rectangle sign with an image of a person holding a sign There is a traffic controller ahead and you must prepare to stop.
	Rectangle sign with an image of a person digging There are road workers ahead.
	Yellow rectangle sign with the words roadwork ahead You are driving towards road works, slow down and be prepared to stop.
	Yellow rectangle sign with the words end roadwork The road work area has finished and you can resume your normal speed.
	Lolly pop signs stop and slow You must obey these signs that are held by traffic controllers.
	Red square sign with the words prepare to stop You must slow down and prepare to stop.
	Lit arrow sign on vehicle or at the side of the road You are driving toward a road hazard ahead and must merge lanes.
	Mobile traffic signal device These are temporary traffic lights and the same rules apply for these as normal traffic lights.
	Yellow sign with the words no lines do not overtake unless safe The road you're driving on doesn't have any lines marked on the road and you must take care if overtaking.
	Closed lane ahead.
	Yellow rectangle sign with cars and rocks You must watch for loose stones.

Speed limit signs

Sign	Meaning
	Regulatory speed signs It is illegal to drive faster than the posted speed limit. Regulatory speed limit signs have a white background with the speed limit shown inside a red circle.
	Advisory speed signs You should drive at the speed limit on this sign. Advisory speed signs are often placed before curves, bends and crests.
	Local traffic zone sign 40 A local traffic area is an area of local streets that have a speed limit of 40km/h. The lower speed limit provides greater safety for all road users and lower noise levels for people living in the area. Look out for bicycle riders, pedestrians and children.
	Shared zone sign 10 A shared traffic zone is usually a street where pedestrians, bicycle riders and other vehicles can share the road safely. These zones often have a speed limit of 10km/h. Be sure to keep to the speed limit for the safety of all road users.
	Road work sign 40 Where a road work speed limit sign is displayed, the speed limit is enforceable and must be obeyed.
	School zone signs You must drive at 40km/hr in a school zone during school days and the times noted on the sign. You can drive at up to 60km/h once you have left the school zone.