Editing Road hierarchy (section)

===United Kingdom ===
{{Main |Roads in the United Kingdom#Classification}}
In the United Kingdom, roads are classified according to an administrative (statutory) hierarchy that reflects importance and development plans.

====Motorway====
[[Motorways]] are high-speed roads similar to freeways. They are designated with an M prefix or (M) suffix. e.g. M1, A1(M). The speed limit is generally {{convert|70|mi/h}} and there is a [[hard shoulder]].  Emergency telephones are located every mile along the route so motorists with broken-down vehicles can contact the authorities, although this is increasingly being done using [[mobile phone]]s.  Signs are blue with white text for both destinations and motorway numbers.  In general, junctions are given numbers which are displayed prominently, sometimes with a letter suffix, in a small black box on all the signs for any given junction.  Junctions are generally signed one mile before they exit, with three or four further signs as the junction is reached, although on busy urban stretches this first warning can reduce to about ⅓mile.  Cyclists, pedestrians, mopeds, very slow vehicles and certain other traffic are banned.

====A-roads====
Primary A-roads are green on maps and signs. A main recommended route, they are usually single carriageway or [[dual carriageway]], but can be single track as in North West [[Sutherland]]. The primary road network is fully connected, meaning you can reach any part from any other without leaving the network.  Some of the major dual carriageway primary routes have numbered junctions or hard shoulders in the style of the [[Continental Europe|Continental]] semi-motorways.  Many primary routes are largely or wholly subject to [[clearway]] restrictions, and in major cities they may be classed as [[red route]]s.  Emergency telephones, if present at all, are usually infrequent – there may be some additional telephones operated by the UK's two main motoring organisations, the [[RAC plc|RAC]] and the [[The Automobile Association|AA]], but these are becoming rarer.

A non-primary A-road often exists where the route is important but there is a nearby primary route (A or motorway) which duplicates this road's function. Shown as red on maps, and has white signage with black lettering.  Some non-primary A-class roads are partially subject to clearway restrictions.

====Other roads====
B-roads are regional in nature and used to connect areas of lesser importance. Usually shown as brown or yellow on maps and have the same white signs as non-primary A-class routes. If the route is primary, like the B6261, then it will be shown the same as a primary A-class route.

C-roads are used as local authority designations for routes within their area for administrative purposes. These routes are not shown on [[Scale (map)#Large scale, medium scale, small scale|small-scale]] road maps, but have occasionally been known to appear on road signs.

Unclassified roads are local roads with no defined destination.  Local destinations may, however, be signed along them.