Slippery road sign
What the Slippery road sign means: The road ahead can be slippery, so slow down, brake gently and leave a bigger gap.
- Group
- Warning signs
- Does this group carry the law
- Not enforceable on its own. It changes nothing about right of way.
- In the sign deck
- 3 questions ask about this sign
What to do when you see it
- Reduce speed before you reach the length the sign covers.
- Brake earlier and more gently, and avoid braking while turning.
- Increase your following gap well beyond two seconds.
- Make steering inputs smooth, because a sudden change of direction is what breaks traction.
Where you see it
On bridge decks, on smooth or polished road surfaces, on approaches where oil collects at intersections, and on roads that are regularly wet from spray or shade.
Across the states and territories
The warning is national. What makes a road slippery is not: black ice and frost matter in the Tasmanian and Victorian highlands, the Snowy Mountains and the Canberra region, while the first rain after a dry spell is the classic hazard in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Tell it apart from these
- Slippery roadthis pageCurve to the left
The two together are the highest risk combination on a country road, because slippery and turning are what put a car off the outside of a bend.
Curve to the left: The road ahead curves to the left, so slow down before you reach it.
- Slippery roadthis pageNarrow bridge
Bridge decks are often signed for both, since they freeze first and are narrower than the road either side.
Narrow bridge: The bridge ahead is narrower than the road, so slow down and be ready to give way to oncoming traffic.
How the knowledge tests use it
Following distance is the standard question here, and the answer is to increase the gap rather than to rely on braking sooner.
What does this sign mean?
The car with wavy tracks behind it warns that grip can drop away, often because of a polished surface, loose material, oil or water.
State and territory driver handbooks, warning signs
Common questions
- What does the Slippery road sign mean?
- The road ahead can be slippery, so slow down, brake gently and leave a bigger gap.
- What should you do when you see a Slippery road sign?
- Reduce speed before you reach the length the sign covers. Brake earlier and more gently, and avoid braking while turning. Increase your following gap well beyond two seconds. Make steering inputs smooth, because a sudden change of direction is what breaks traction.
- Where is the Slippery road sign used?
- On bridge decks, on smooth or polished road surfaces, on approaches where oil collects at intersections, and on roads that are regularly wet from spray or shade.
- What is the Slippery road sign confused with?
- Curve to the left: The two together are the highest risk combination on a country road, because slippery and turning are what put a car off the outside of a bend. Narrow bridge: Bridge decks are often signed for both, since they freeze first and are narrower than the road either side.
- How do the knowledge tests ask about the Slippery road sign?
- Following distance is the standard question here, and the answer is to increase the gap rather than to rely on braking sooner.
Try it in a question
Original practice questions, not the official bank. How we write and check them.
More warning signs
Yellow diamond with a black symbol.