Category G – Traffic rules

Sign G1 – Motorway.

This sign indicates a motorway. Unless stated otherwise, the speed limit is 130 kilometers per hour.
Between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM, the speed limit on a motorway is 100 kilometers per hour.
Every motorway has a number. This is always an A-number. Consider, for example, the A1, A2, and A10. A-numbers are assigned to motorways within the Netherlands. If a motorway crosses a border, it is also assigned an E-number.

A motorway has several characteristics, and special rules apply.
A motorway is always located outside built-up areas, and the main carriageway is always a priority road. A motorway has grade-separated junctions, separated carriageways, and smoothly flowing entry and exit lanes. In addition, there is almost always an emergency lane. Parking lots, gas stations, and bus stops located along motorways are not part of the motorway.

Only drivers of motor vehicles that are permitted to travel at a speed of at least 60 km/h are allowed to use the motorway. A moped capable of 80 km/h is not permitted on the motorway. While it can travel at least 60 km/h, it may not exceed 60 km/h.
There is no minimum speed limit on a motorway. If a bridge is open or there is a stationary traffic jam on a motorway, you cannot meet the minimum speed limit.

Drivers are prohibited from turning or reversing their vehicles on a motorway or expressway. It is forbidden to leave a vehicle stationary on the carriageway of a motorway. The hard shoulder is also part of the motorway, so the prohibitions above also apply to the hard shoulder. Except in emergencies, road users are prohibited from using the hard shoulder, the emergency lane, or the shoulder on a motorway.
On a motorway, drivers of a combination of vehicles with a total length of more than 7 meters AND a lorry are prohibited from using any lane other than the two lanes furthest to the right on a carriageway with three or more lanes. This prohibition does not apply if you want to change direction.

There are no equivalent junctions on motorways. Therefore, photos showing a junction with traffic lights cannot have been taken on a motorway.

If you break down on a motorway, there is often a hard shoulder where you can pull over safely. Make sure you get onto the hard shoulder as safely as possible. Turn on your hazard lights as soon as possible. Once on the hard shoulder, pay attention to the following: Is there a crash barrier next to the hard shoulder?
If so, park your car as close to the crash barrier as possible. If not, pull over to the verge if possible.
Exit the car, including the passengers, and seek refuge behind the guardrail. This also applies, perhaps even more so, in inclement weather.
Place the warning triangle or turn on your hazard lights.

Sing G2 – End of motorway,

After this sign, you are driving outside a built-up area. If you don’t see any signs indicating a different speed limit, the speed limit after this sign is 80 kilometers per hour.

Sign G3 – Autoweg.

An autoweg is a road used only by motor vehicles, generally at a reasonably high speed. An autoweg sometimes has one carriageway so that you may encounter oncoming traffic.
If you want to overtake, you must be very confident. Overtaking on autowegen regularly results in head-on collisions, the consequences of which are obvious.
An autoweg also has at-grade junctions.
This means you may encounter traffic crossing the autoweg.
To make exiting autowegen safer, deceleration lanes are usually constructed. These deceleration lanes can be located either to the left or right of the carriageway.
You can recognise an autoweg by the sign G3. Autowegen have a number. This is always an N-number. An N-number does not mean the road is always an autoweg.

Parking lots, bus stops, and gas stations located along an autoweg are not considered autowegen. The rules of a motorway do not apply to them.

To be allowed to drive on an autoweg, you must be able to drive at least 50 kilometers per hour. This doesn’t mean you have to drive at least 50 kilometers per hour to drive on an autoweg. If there’s a traffic jam on the autoweg, there’s no point in driving 50 kilometers per hour, but you should adjust your speed to the other traffic.
A brommobiel, for example, that can drive 80 kilometers per hour is not allowed on the autoweg. It can drive at least 50 kilometers per hour, but it may not exceed 50 kilometers per hour.

The speed limit on autowegen outside built-up areas is 100 kilometers per hour. However, driving 100 kilometers per hour is not always permitted. On many autowegen, especially within built-up areas, a speed limit of 50 or 70 kilometers per hour applies. Even if a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour applies, it is often lowered to 70 kilometers per hour, at least when approaching traffic lights and often at junctions. There are mostly no hard shoulders along autowegen, but it’s certainly nice to be able to pull over if you have a breakdown safely. Hard shoulders are designed for this purpose. Hard shoulders are always indicated by a small blue sign showing a car with its hood open, with someone working on it.
You are not permitted to use the hard shoulder if your car isn’t broken down. Parking is not allowed on the hard shoulders. If you break down on an autoweg, there’s often no hard shoulder to escape to. Make sure you reach the hard shoulder as safely as possible. Turn on your hazard lights as soon as possible. Once you’re at the hard shoulder, pay attention to the following: Is there a crash barrier next to the hard shoulder?
If so, pull your car as close to the barrier as possible.
If not, pull over to the shoulder if possible.
Exit the car, including the passengers, and seek refuge behind the crash barrier. This also applies, perhaps even more so, when the weather is terrible.
Place the warning triangle or turn on your hazard lights.

Sign G4 – End of autoweg.

This sign indicates that you are exiting an autoweg. Usually, you are entering a built-up area, and you may not drive faster than 50 kilometers per hour, unless otherwise indicated.
If there are no signs indicating built-up areas or speed limits, the speed limit after this sign is 80 kilometers per hour.

Sign G5 – Erf,

Erven are residential areas indicated by sign G5. Once you pass this sign, you are driving on an erf, and the erf rules apply to you.
As long as you haven’t passed sign G6, you are still driving in an erf and must continue to observe the erf rules. An “end of erf” sign isn’t required after every junction. Many children play within erven, many people walk on the carriageway, and life is lived on the street. Pedestrians are allowed to use the full width of the carriageway but are not permitted to stand and unnecessarily obstruct motorists. The speed limit within an erf is 15 kilometers per hour. Previously, the speed limit within an erf was walking pace. Because the definition of walking pace was unclear to many people, the definition has been changed to a maximum of 15 kilometers per hour. Many speed bumps, flower boxes, and other obstacles are placed within yards to prevent driving through them at high speed.

At a junction within a yard, the rule is that drivers coming from the right must have priority over drivers coming from the left. Pedestrians coming from the right do not have priority within an erf.

In an erf, you may only park in parking spaces indicated by sign E4, or if parking spaces have been created with a pavement tile bearing a white “P.”
If an erf is also designated as a parking disc zone by sign E10, you may park along the blue lines in that yard, in addition to the aforementioned spaces, provided you have displayed a parking disc in your car.
You may not simply park anywhere within an erf, but you may stop there to load/unload or to let someone in or out.
Drivers of a car with a valid disabled parking permit may park outside the designated parking spaces if they have displayed the permit and a parking disc on their car. Disabled vehicles may park outside the designated parking spaces in an erf all day, as they are exempt from the parking requirement.
Pedestrians are not required to use the sidewalk in an erf, but may use the carriageway. This does not mean that pedestrians within an erf have the right of way.

Sign G6 – End of erf.

If you leave an exit, you perform a special maneuver where you must yield to all other traffic. This means not only vehicles from the left and right, but you must yield to everyone and everything, including pedestrians.

When leaving a property, two situations can occur:

• The property ends immediately at sign G6 and intersects another road via a lowered sidewalk or curb. You are now clearly leaving an exit.
• A different situation arises when sign G6 is 25 meters or further from the intersecting road. The section after sign G6 is then a regular road, and the junction you are approaching is not an exit, meaning the standard right-of-way rules apply. Understandably, this is detrimental to clarity and safety and doesn’t occur very often.

In summary, if there is no clear exit sign when leaving a property, the standard right-of-way rules that also apply at a priority uncontrolled junctions apply.

Sign G7 – Footpath.

This path is intended only for pedestrians and drivers of vehicles for disabled persons.

Please be mindful of children playing when entering or leaving the path.

Pedestrians walking with a moped, motorcycle, or other vehicle may use this path. Drivers of vehicles for disabled persons may also use a sidewalk, but with a maximum speed of 6 kilometers per hour.

Sign G8 – Eind of footpath,

The meaning of this sign is clear: the footpath ends.

Sign G9 – Bridle path.

This path is often unpaved and intended for horseback riding only. No one other than horseback riders is permitted to use this path.

Sign G10 – End of bridle path.

If there is no bridle path, riders may only use the verge or the carriageway. The sidewalk, footpath, cycle path, or cycle/moped path is not permitted by law, especially not at the CBR!

Sign G11 – Mandatory cycle path.

Cyclists and snorfiets riders are required to use the mandatory cycle path.
Pedestrians may use the mandatory cycle path if there is no footpath or sidewalk.
Drivers of vehicles for disabled persons may also use the mandatory cycle path.

Road users other than cyclists, mopeds, drivers of vehicles for disabled persons, and pedestrians are prohibited from using a mandatory cycle path.

Some cities in the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, ban snorfietsen from the cycle path and require them to use the carriageway instead of the mandatory cycle path. This is not regulated by law, and the CBR does not ask about it during the theory exam.

Sign G12 – End of mandatory cycle path.

The meaning of this sign isn’t shocking. After this sign, the mandatory cycle path ends.

Sign G12a – Bicycle/moped path.

Cyclists, snorfietsen, and mopeds are required to use the mandatory cycle/moped path.
Pedestrians may use the mandatory cycle/moped path if there is no footpath or sidewalk.
Drivers of vehicles for disabled persons may also use the mandatory cycle/moped path.

Road users other than cyclists, snorfietsen, mopeds, drivers of vehicles, for disabled persons and pedestrians are prohibited from using a mandatory cycle path.

Sign G12b – End of bicycle/moped path.

After this sign, the mandatory bicycle/moped path ends. If there are no other signs, the carriageway is now designated for cyclists, snorfietsen, and mopeds.

Sign G13 – Non-mandatory cycle path.

Cyclists are not required to use this lane. Instead of the non-mandatory cycle path, they may use the carriageway. If there is a mandatory cycle path, cyclists must use it.

Riders of snorfietsen equipped with a combustion engine may only use the mandatory cycle path with the engine switched off. In that case, the moped must, of course, have pedals to propel it forward.

Riders of snorfietsen with an electric motor may use the non-mandatory cycle path.

Sign G14 – End of non-mandatory cycle path.

After this sign, the non-mandatory cycle path ends. Cyclists’ place on the road is now the carriageway or the mandatory cycle path, if one exists.