Signs and Road Markings: Reading the Road
Bahrain uses the international system of traffic signs, so the shapes and colours carry consistent meanings you can rely on even for a sign you have not seen before. Circles give orders: a red border with white centre is a prohibition, and blue circles are mandatory instructions. Triangles with a red border warn of hazards ahead. Rectangles and squares give information or directions. Octagons mean stop and inverted triangles mean give way.
Road markings reinforce the signs. A solid white line at the edge marks the carriageway boundary; a solid centre line means no crossing or overtaking; a broken centre line may be crossed when it is safe. Double solid lines are the strictest. Yellow markings typically relate to parking restrictions or special lanes. Arrows indicate lane direction or a required turn.
Traps appear in questions that rely on subtle differences. A "no entry" sign (red circle with a white horizontal bar) is not the same as "no vehicles". A warning triangle for a roundabout is not a give-way sign, though a give-way line usually accompanies it. A blue circular sign with an arrow is a mandatory direction, not a suggestion. Questions may also show a sign with supplementary plates beneath it giving times or exceptions; always read the plate.
Worked example: you approach a junction and see a red-bordered triangle showing a crossroads symbol, and at the junction itself there is a broken white line across your lane. The triangle warns of a crossroads ahead; the broken line means give way, not stop. You must be prepared to stop and give priority to traffic on the crossing road, but you are not legally required to halt if the road is clear. If the line were solid with a stop sign, you would have to stop completely.
Rule of thumb: identify the shape first, then the symbol, then any supplementary plate.