Australian roads feature plenty of road signs with surprising meanings, but one that continues to baffle motorists is the red stop sign with three black dots.
Predominantly used in New South Wales, these look just like regular red stop signs, but the word 'STOP' is obscured by three black circles arranged in the same layout as a set of traffic lights.
So what do the three dots mean? As it turns out, these signs function as an "important safety backup" at busy intersections.
"The stop signs with three black dots are used at some traffic light intersections," a Transport for NSW spokesperson told Drive.
"If traffic lights fail due to a power outage or fault, the intersection becomes stop-controlled. The black dots help drivers quickly recognise that they must stop and give way, even when signals are not operating."
According to Transport for NSW, they're used because the design is clean and simple and thus visible in different light and weather conditions.
It also quickly helps drivers to identify an intersection that typically features traffic lights, even if those lights aren't visible.
So, why do some but not all intersections around the country feature these quirky little stop signs?
Traffic sign placement can be determined by road authorities, governments or local councils – it just depends on who owns the road in question.
Typically, authorities will place these stop signs at intersections that are high-risk, whether due to traffic volumes, vehicle speeds, intersection complexity or the potential risk to drivers should the traffic lights fail.
That means you'll likely only see these stop signs with black dots at high-risk intersections, where failed traffic lights could prove particularly catastrophic.
Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and three-year-old son.
