Traffic Signs, Signals, and Road Markings
Core Concepts
Candidates must teach sign shape and color as meaning systems. Red octagon means stop; red-and-white inverted triangle means yield; yellow diamond warns of conditions ahead; orange diamond marks work zones; white rectangles are regulatory; green guides; blue provides services; brown indicates recreation and points of interest; fluorescent yellow-green marks school zones and pedestrian crossings. Traffic signals follow a fixed order: steady red, then green, then yellow, then red. A flashing red is a stop sign; a flashing yellow means proceed with caution. Solid yellow lines separate opposing traffic; broken yellow allows passing when safe; double solid yellow forbids passing. White lines separate same-direction lanes or mark the right edge; a solid white edge line marks the travel boundary.
Common Traps
Questions test the difference between warning and regulatory signs and between advisory and posted speeds on yellow signs. Another favorite: the meaning of a yellow signal - it warns the light is about to turn red and does not mean speed up. Watch for pavement-marking questions where the trap is direction of travel: yellow on your left, white on your right in normal two-way driving. Also distinguish a shared center left-turn lane (solid and broken yellow on each side) from a passing zone.
Rule of Thumb
Match color to purpose: red means stop or prohibit, yellow means warn, white means regulate, orange means work zone, green means guide. If a question describes an unfamiliar sign, ask what color it is - the color usually gives away the answer.