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‘I didn’t know that’ say drivers over little-known symbol on Irish motorways

Irish motorway signs indicating directions to Stillorgan and Wexford.

THERE are little-known symbols on Irish motorways that help motorists avoid delays during incidents – and some drivers “didn’t know” about them.

Dublin Fire Brigade has taken to Instagram to share the purpose of these signs.

IRISH SUN FILE IRISH SUN FILE IRISH SUN FILE IRISH SUN FILE Section of the M50 motorway - near the Ballymun exit.Pic: Paddy Cummins/PCPhoto.ie
Irish motorways feature little-known signs to divert drivers during incidents
News Group Newspapers Ltd
Irish motorway signage indicating directions to Stillorgan and Wexford.
Dublin Fire Brigade

Dublin Fire Brigade shared their purpose on Instagram[/caption]

Over the weekend, Dublin Fire Brigade responded to a serious road traffic collision on the M1 northbound which caused a tailback of 14 kilometres.

Traffic can become heavily congested during incidents like these and cause major delays for motorists.

And to help manage these situations, a system of coloured, shaped symbols is used on motorways to indicate alternative routes that are unknown to many people.

The most common symbols include orange and black circles, diamonds and green triangles that each represent a different diversion route.

These symbols appear on overhead signs when there is an incident that affects the normal flow of traffic.

Dublin Fire Brigade said: “Earlier this evening we responded to a road traffic collision on the M1 northbound.

“A tailback of approximately 14km of traffic was reported.

“Did you know these symbols offer an alternative route off motorways!”

Drivers are advised to follow these symbols to safely exit the motorway and take a pre-planned diversion.

Along the diversion route, the same coloured symbols are displayed on fixed signs to guide motorists through the alternative path.


These diversion routes are carefully planned and managed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland as part of the national traffic management system.

Taking to the comments section, some drivers revealed that they were unaware of these symbols and their purpose.

One person wrote: “Nope, I didn’t know that.”

Another said: “I didn’t know that either!”

This comes after the NCT services revealed a problem that is one of the common causes of NCT test failure – and it can damage your car.

NCT test failure

They said: “Do not let your oil levels slide, or you may be in for a surprise!

“NCT Inspectors may refuse to test the vehicle because low oil levels can cause issues with exhaust emissions tests or damage your engine.”

The low engine oil levels cause friction to increase significantly within the engine, resulting in decreased fuel efficiency as more power is being used to keep the engine running.

The oil helps to keep everything operating smoothly, but the engine will lose oil over time, and the engine will seize up if it runs out completely.

The NCT is now encouraging drivers to take these steps in advance of their test and regular checks, such as:

To check your engine oil, turn off your engine and let it cool for approximately five to ten minutes.

Locate the dipstick, pull it out, wipe it clean with a piece of tissue, and insert it back into the tube.

Then pull the dipstick back out and check where the oil is; you will usually have a minimum and maximum measure.

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