Theory Mastery

Sign F5: Drivers must not proceed when traffic is approaching from

F5 – Drivers must not proceed when traffic is approaching from

Series: F -- Mandatory and forbidden manoeuvres

Legal meaning

Prohibition on drivers proceeding when traffic approaches from the opposite direction.

Source: RVV 1990 annex 1 · checked 2026-10-23

Shape and colour

Round white sign with a red rim, a red arrow up and a black arrow down: you must let oncoming traffic go first.

Where the sign stands

Just before the narrowing, on the side that must wait; F6 stands on the opposite side.

What the exam asks about this sign

The exam asks who must wait at a narrowing with this sign: you, because the red arrow is your direction; oncoming traffic (with F6) goes first. Trap: candidates read the red arrow as 'I go first'. A second trap: if nobody is coming, you may simply drive on.

Exam question on this sign

About Keeping right, road narrowing (F5/F6) and obstacles: which statement is WRONG?

  1. Keeping right means driving as close as possible to the kerb or the verge.
  2. If you are driving in the direction of the red arrow, you must stop; if you are driving in the direction of the white arrow, the oncoming drivers — not you — must stop.
  3. When there is not enough room, whoever has the obstacle on their own half of the road must stop; if the obstacle is on the oncoming driver's half of the road, that driver stops, not you.
  4. The same basic rules apply to obstacles as to a road narrowing without a sign: whoever has the obstacle on their own half of the road stops when there is not enough room.
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Correct answer: Keeping right means driving as close as possible to the kerb or the verge.

You must keep right as much as possible, but do not drive too close to the kerb or the verge; if the road is too narrow for you and an oncoming driver, you both move aside

Why learners get this wrong: At sign F5-F6, the red arrow means you may drive through and the white arrow means you must stop.

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Often confused with

Signs in the same series

Where this is explained

Topics that use this sign

Questions using this

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