Drive on a Dutch motorway and you pass under gantries with a small black sign above each lane. These overhead matrix signs, matrixborden in Dutch, can show a red cross, a white or green arrow, a speed limit or an end sign. They are legally binding, they change with the traffic, and for drivers from abroad they are easy to misread. This guide explains what each Dutch matrix sign means, who sets them, and how BlitzBuddy shows them on your route.
What are matrix signs on Dutch motorways?
A matrix sign is an electronic traffic sign above a single lane. The signs on one gantry work as a set, one per lane from left to right, and each one applies to the lane directly beneath it. Dutch traffic rules (RVV 1990) allow traffic signs to be shown on an electronic panel, and a speed limit on a matrix sign is just as binding as one on a fixed sign.
A dark sign shows nothing, and the normal roadside signs apply. When a sign lights up, it is telling you something about the road ahead: a queue, an accident, roadworks or bad weather.
Red cross on a matrix sign: lane closed
A red cross means the lane is closed. You must not drive in it. If one appears above the lane you are in, move over safely. The hard shoulder may only be used in an emergency.
Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch national road authority, stresses that there is always a reason for a red cross, even when you cannot see one. The reasons it lists include:
- a breakdown, an accident, or people on the road
- roadworks and emergency repairs
- a rush-hour lane that is closed
- bad weather such as heavy snow, fog or ice
- a medical emergency transport, or emergency services that need the lane
- dosing traffic, for example in front of some tunnels
Driving under a red cross puts people working on the road, other drivers and yourself at risk. It has been a criminal offence since 2015, and Rijkswaterstaat puts the fine at 290 euros. In some places you will also see a roadside sign reading "Bij rood kruis: rijstrook DICHT", which means "Red cross: lane CLOSED".
White and green arrows on matrix signs
A white diagonal arrow is the first warning of a red cross further on: the lane is about to close. Move over in the direction the arrow points, in good time and without cutting in.
A green arrow pointing down means the lane is open and you may use it. A speed limit on the sign also means the lane is open, at that speed.
Speed limits on Dutch matrix signs
A number in a red ring is a speed limit, exactly like a fixed speed limit sign. The Dutch government puts it simply: the speed on a matrix sign is the maximum at that moment. It changes with conditions such as a queue, an accident or bad weather.
If a matrix sign and a roadside sign show different limits, the lower one applies. When the roadside sign says 100 and the matrix sign shows 70, your limit is 70.
Some matrix signs also have yellow lamps that flash. Dutch traffic rules define a flashing yellow light as: danger, take care. Treat it as a sign that something is happening ahead, and slow down.
The end sign: end of all restrictions
A white circle with diagonal lines through it ends all restrictions and advisories shown on the electronic signs. After it, the limits on the fixed roadside signs apply again.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Red cross | Lane closed, do not drive in it |
| White diagonal arrow | Lane closing ahead, move over in the direction of the arrow |
| Green arrow pointing down | Lane open |
| Number in a red ring | Maximum speed for that lane, right now |
| Flashing yellow lamps | Danger, take care |
| White circle with diagonal lines | End of all restrictions shown on the matrix signs |
| Dark sign | Nothing shown, follow the roadside signs |
Who sets the signs: Rijkswaterstaat and NDW MSI data
Red crosses are set by road traffic controllers at Rijkswaterstaat's traffic control centres, around the clock. For a medical emergency transport, for example, the police or the ambulance control room alerts them.
What the signs show is public. NDW, the Dutch national road traffic data portal, publishes the state of the matrix signs as open data under the name Matrixsignaalinformatie (MSI). For each sign it gives the road number, the carriageway, the lane number, the kilometre position and the current image: blank, a speed limit, lane open, lane closed, lane closing with a move to the left or right, or end of restrictions.
How BlitzBuddy shows Dutch matrix signs
BlitzBuddy's server reads the NDW MSI feed every two minutes. During a drive in the Netherlands, the app loads it and picks the next gantry ahead of you on the same road and carriageway, up to 3 km away. Once you pass it, the next gantry takes its place. If the live data is more than 10 minutes old, the app does not show it.
The gantry appears as a row of small signs, one per lane from left to right, drawn like the real ones: white numbers for a speed limit, a red cross for a closed lane, a white diagonal arrow, a green arrow for an open lane, the end sign, and four flashing yellow lamps when the real sign flashes. A gantry where every sign is dark is not shown at all.
A short card adds the distance, the hectometre post and a plain line such as "Left lane closing", followed by "Move to the right in good time. Maximum 70." The app never says "your lane", because it does not know which lane you are in. The same row of signs appears on CarPlay and Android Auto, so you do not need to look at your phone.
Matrix signs in BlitzBuddy are available in the Netherlands only. None of the other countries the app covers has a comparable open source that it uses today. For the live traffic sources in each country, see where BlitzBuddy's live traffic comes from.
The signs above the road always come first. The app can run a little behind the real sign, so if the two differ, follow the sign.
Sources
- Rijkswaterstaat, Rode kruisen: er is altijd iets aan de hand (Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid, Wat is de maximumsnelheid voor auto's op de snelweg? (Dutch)
- Government of the Netherlands, Road Traffic Signs and Regulations in the Netherlands: articles 63b, 64a, 73 and 75, signs A3 and F9
- Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens 1990 (RVV 1990) (Dutch)
- NDW Docs, Matrix Traffic Signs
- NDW Open Data, file Matrixsignaalinformatie.xml.gz
Frequently asked questions
What does a red cross on a Dutch motorway mean?
The lane under the red cross is closed and you must not drive in it. Rijkswaterstaat says there is always a reason, even when you cannot see one. Ignoring a red cross has been a criminal offence since 2015, and Rijkswaterstaat puts the fine at 290 euros.
Is the speed limit on a Dutch matrix sign binding?
Yes. A number in a red ring on a matrix sign is the maximum speed at that moment. If it differs from the fixed roadside signs, the lower limit applies.
What does a white diagonal arrow on a matrix sign mean?
It is the first warning of a red cross further on. The lane is about to close, so move over in the direction of the arrow in good time.
What does the white circle with diagonal lines mean?
It ends all restrictions and advisories shown on the electronic signs. From there, the limits on the fixed roadside signs apply again.
Does BlitzBuddy read matrix signs out loud?
No. Matrix signs change too often to announce each one, so BlitzBuddy shows them on screen only. It does speak temporary speed limits and roadworks with a closed lane, which NDW publishes separately.
