Warning Sign/Slippery Road

Pre-Worboys Sign

There doesn't seem to be a specific pre-Worboys sign for Slippery Roads.

Worboys Report Sign

The Slippery Road sign depicts a head-on silhouette of a car above large crossing skid marks, in a design which is physically impossible to replicate in the real world! Nevertheless, it informs the driver of the risk ahead.

The signs are located in a variety of locations, often in places where ice or spray from the sea poses a danger that cannot be easily engineered out on a twisty or hilly piece of road. They may also be located at sites where mud from farms or liquid from a local industry can pose a regular problem. One of the more unusual uses, however, is on semi-permanent posts sited after a new surface is laid on a road. This has led to questions over the competency of authorities using a surfacing material which is slippery, but there is often little choice.

Modern anti-skid surfaces have been developed to combat slippery road surfaces, and are seeing the removal of these signs in a number of places.

This sign is also widely used as a temporary fold-out sign at roadworks, or after incidents such as fuel spills on the road network. There is also the Loose Chippings sign used on roads that have recently been surface dressed, and this now commonly comes with the additional warning of 'skid risk'.

Irish Sign

The Irish sign, apart from being shown on a yellow diamond, is very similar to the UK design. The most significant difference is that the skid marks do not cross, and so are more realistic!