Traffic Signs, Signals, and Road Markings
Sign families
Learn signs by shape and color, because that is how exam questions disguise them. Red octagons mean stop; red triangles mean yield. Yellow diamonds warn of hazards ahead (curves, merging traffic, pedestrian crossings). Orange means construction or work zones. Fluorescent yellow-green marks school zones and pedestrian/bicycle warnings. White rectangles are regulatory: speed limits, lane use, and turn restrictions. Green guides destinations and distances; blue indicates services; brown marks recreation and points of interest. A round sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead, and a white X-shaped crossbuck marks the crossing itself.
Signals
Solid red means stop and remain stopped until green. A steady yellow means the signal is changing; stop if you can do so safely, and do not speed up to beat it. Green means go only when the intersection is clear. A flashing red is treated as a stop sign; a flashing yellow means slow and proceed with caution. A red arrow prohibits the movement shown; a green arrow protects it. Right turn on red is generally allowed after a full stop unless a sign prohibits it, but you must yield to pedestrians and traffic.
Pavement markings
A solid yellow line separates traffic moving in opposite directions and forbids passing on your side. Broken yellow allows passing when clear. White lines separate traffic moving the same direction; solid white marks the right edge, and broken white divides lanes. Two solid yellow lines mean no passing in either direction. Crosswalk markings and stop lines tell you where to stop, not where to creep forward.
Traps
Questions swap colors and shapes: an orange diamond is a work zone, not a warning of a permanent hazard. A sign showing a pedestrian in a yellow-green diamond is a school/pedestrian warning, not a regulatory instruction.
Rule of thumb
Classify any sign in two steps: shape/color first (stop, yield, warn, regulate, guide), then the symbol.