What lane are you driving when you come across the ‘Main Ring’ sign? What does this sign symbolize?

Road signs have two main roles, to inform and to enforce. That is why it is important for drivers to know what each traffic sign means, in order not to break the rules of the road. For example, when you encounter the “Main Ring” indicator, do you have to drive in a specific lane or is it purely informative?

Road signs provide useful information to drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Most of the signs are mounted on the right side of the road. But they can also be located on the left side or in the center of the road.

Categories of road signs

Nowadays, there are many road signs, and their number is increasing. They are generally made of galvanized steel and have a reflective film covering them.

Road signs are divided into the following categories:

• warning signs:
  • they are triangular;
  • have a white background;
  • red border;
  • symbols are black;
  • in the case of temporary road works, the signs have a yellow background;
• priority road signs;
• prohibition/restriction road signs:
  • they are generally round in shape
  • combine the colors red, blue, white and black;
  • they have various symbols and inscriptions;
• direction road signs:
  • I use a destination based color coding:
    • black text on a white background represents a destination in a city;
    • white text on a blue background represents a destination on a road connecting two cities;
    • white text on a green background represents motorway destinations;
• road information signs:
  • generally, they have a rectangular shape;
  • they are blue in color (green, in the case of those located on highways);
• additional road signs.

Which lane should you drive when you see the “Main Ring” sign

In Bucharest, for more than 10 years, special signs have been placed on certain important roads.

Rectangular, with a white background and black writing, with the text “Main Ring” and a circle drawn at the top of the pointer.

More precisely, this indicator is located on the route:

• boulevard Iancu de Hunedoara;
• Ștefan cel Mare road;
• Mihai Bravu road;
• Calea Văcărești;
• Oltenița road;
• Viilor road;
• Progresului street;
• boulevard Geniului;
• Grozavesti road;
• the Besarab passage;
• Nicolae Titulescu road;
• Victoria Passage.

The former mayor of the Capital, Sorin Oprescu, claimed, when the idea of ​​the “Main Ring” appeared, that on all these arteries there will be traffic on at least two lanes, without restrictions, at higher speeds than the rest of the city. Basically, it would have been like a ring road that surrounds the center of Bucharest.

However, everything remained only at the informative level. In practice, it was never traveled differently on these boulevards.

So, when you come across the “Main Ring” indicator, keep in mind that this is an informational one. So, you don’t have to change lanes, you don’t have priority, and the maximum allowed speed is not higher either.