RM5
At a glance
- Sign code
- RM5
- Type
- Road Marking
- Official meaning
- An area enclosed by a boundary line or lines, white and/or yellow, normally filled with yellow sloping bars in a diagonal or chevron pattern. One boundary may be formed by a kerb line or by a yellow RM4.1 edge line rather than painted separately. No part of a vehicle may enter the painted island, and no vehicle may stop or park on it, except when directed by a traffic officer or in the case of an emergency.
What the Painted Island sign means
The marked-off painted area is out of bounds: do not drive on it, stop on it or park on it. It usually carries yellow diagonal stripes, but not always.
What you must do
Pass it on the correct side and keep every wheel off the paint. Enter it only on a traffic officer's direction or in a genuine emergency.
Know the mistake this sign turns on
Full access adds the confusion Painted Island is most often mistaken for and the hint for the test, on this sign and every other one — plus practice questions and timed mock papers. The practice sample and the readiness test are free.
See the free practice testSources
- Road Traffic Signs chart, National Department of TransportThe official chart. Sign RM5 was checked against it, artwork and meaning, before being published here.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — Schedule 1Where the prescribed meaning of each road traffic sign is set out.
Last updated 2026-08-23.