Road signs are a fundamental aspect when learning to drive and are designed to keep you informed while on the road. Despite this, over three quarters of UK motorists are unable to decipher the most basic road signs. If you fall into that statistic, we suggest you dig out the Highway Code and swot up (after you continue reading, of course).
For those of you who feel confident in your road sign knowledge, we’ve collated a list of our favourite funny road signs from around the world to highlight a more comical outlook on roadside awareness.
We thought we’d start off with something a little closer to home…
1. UK
The irony here is unquestionable. Closing a lane to merge all traffic into one seems counterproductive.
Some experts would argue that a lane closure would far from ease congestion but for all intents and purposes we’ll feature this as a funny road sign in the UK. If you're planning on a road trip round the UK keep an eye out for this sign!
2. South Africa
Removing your dentures in South Africa seems to be a safety measure that hasn’t caught on in the UK yet! After staring at this sign for a while, we were unsuccessful in our feat to ascertain its intended meaning.
Perhaps someone reading this can interpret it as we’re eager to know what danger would require you to remove your teeth!
3. Beijing
At a glance this road sign seems to be prohibiting the transportation of elephants on the back of trucks.
After studying further, we think this really means that vehicles carrying heavy goods are not permitted - but we’re curious to know what you think?
4. Abu Dhabi
In the right circumstances, we love surprises – but not sure a road surprise qualifies!
If we had to hazard a guess as to what this road sign means, the red triangular symbol is an indicator that it isn’t good, so drive with caution when in Abu Dhabi.
5. Kosovo
You don’t need a translation here to conclude that these signs used together are mind-boggling! With so much going on, this looks like an image out of a crazy car game! We can’t decide which direction we’re meant to be going in, if there’s any danger ahead or where to go next!
If you’re going to be driving through Kosovo anytime soon, maybe it’s worth considering public transport instead?
6. Kenya
We can’t speak for everyone, but when we think of warthogs we immediately think of Pumbaa from the Lion King. That is why we admire Kenya’s ethos here to protect this tusked species of wild pig.
However, unlike children, we doubt these wild animals follow the green cross code, so keep an eye out for little sprinters next time you drive through Nairobi National Park.
7. America
Nobody likes a road works zone, however this site in America seems to be one of the smallest!
With such a long stretch of road, hopefully these road works don’t cause too much congestion during rush hour.
8. Finland
When you copy this phrase into Google Translate, this sign states ‘Beware Thin Ice.’ However, we’re convinced this Finnish road sign is actually a warning to beware of the zombie site ahead, which is an unlikely sign to see when embarking on a winter road trip in the UK.
Stay safe when travelling in Finland or else you could be part of the next zombie apocalypse!
If you’ve seen any funny road signs while in the UK or abroad, share them with us on our Facebook or Twitter to get them added to the list! Likewise, if you’d like to test your overall driving knowledge for a chance to be crowned the Jardine Motors Driving Genius, complete our Driving Quiz!
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