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Actual clear road width
The supplementary sign indicates the actual clear road width.
When you see the sign
Read the width indication together with the main sign, reduce your speed if necessary, and assess whether your vehicle can pass with sufficient clearance. If it is not possible to pass safely, you must stop before the narrow section and choose another solution.
Rules
- The supplementary plate indicates the actual clear road width at the location, usually given in metres.
- The sign must always be interpreted together with the main sign beneath which it is placed.
- The width indication provides information about the available space and is not, in itself, a prohibition against vehicles exceeding a specific width.
- The driver must take the vehicle’s total width into account, including protruding loads and equipment, and ensure that the vehicle can pass safely.
Tips
- Know the width of your car, and be especially aware of it when driving with a trailer, roof load or protruding load.
- Slow down before a narrow bridge, tunnel entrance or narrowing so that you have better control of the side clearance.
- Also consider the space needed by oncoming traffic; the clear road width does not necessarily mean that two vehicles can pass at the same time.
- Do not rely blindly on the car’s width without the mirrors if the mirrors or other equipment also need clearance.
Common misconceptions
- Thinking that the number shows the distance to the point where the main sign begins to apply.
- Interpreting the supplementary plate as a separate maximum vehicle-width limit.
- Thinking that the width applies to one lane, even though it normally describes the actual clear road width at the location in question.
Test yourself
Easy
What does the supplementary plate provide information about?
- AThe distance to the place where the main sign applies
- BThe length of the road section where the main sign applies
- CThe actual clear road width at the location
- DThe maximum permitted width of the vehicle
Medium
You are approaching a narrow bridge with a car that is 2,60 metres wide when mirrors and projecting load are included. The supplementary plate shows 2,80 metres. What should you do?
- ATreat the number as the distance to the bridge and continue unchanged for the next 2,80 metres
- BTreat the width as permission and pass without assessing the clearance further
- CAssess the clearance and traffic, and only pass if this can be done safely
- DTreat the width as the width of each traffic lane and maintain your normal position
Hard
The supplementary plate shows «3,5 m». A driver believes this means that the main sign begins to apply in 3,5 metres. Which assessment is correct?
- AThe driver is wrong because the number indicates clear road width, not the distance to the place
- BThe driver is right because all metre indications below a main sign show distance ahead
- CThe driver is wrong because the number indicates the length of the section where the main sign applies
- DThe driver is right because the number indicates the distance to the end of the main sign's area of application
Theory test tip
Look for the difference between width and distance: A value in metres together with symbols marking the side limits indicates the clear road width, whereas supplementary plate 802 indicates how far it is to a location.
Did you know
The supplementary plate is used particularly where the available width may be difficult to judge in advance, for example at narrow bridges, in tunnel sections, at roadworks or at other narrowings.
Frequently asked questions
Is the indicated width a statutory maximum vehicle width?
No, the supplementary plate indicates the actual clear road width. An express prohibition against vehicles exceeding a specified width must be shown by a prohibition sign.
Does the number indicate the width of the entire narrow section?
The number indicates the available clear width at the location to which the main sign applies. You must allow for both your own vehicle and any oncoming traffic.
Should side mirrors and protruding loads be included in the assessment?
Yes. You must consider the vehicle’s actual space requirements, including mirrors, loads and other equipment that may come close to obstacles.
What should I do if the car only just fits?
Reduce your speed considerably and assess whether there is sufficient side clearance to pass safely. If you are uncertain or cannot pass safely, you must stop before the narrowing.
Practise for the theory test
Teorio has the complete theory syllabus in your own language. Download the app and practise whenever it suits you.
