Signs, Signals and Road Markings
Reading the Road's Instructions
Signs, signals and markings form a single system, and questions often test whether you can tell which one governs when they seem to disagree. Priority order matters: a police officer or authorised flagger overrides everything, then traffic signals, then signs, then road markings. Memorise that ladder; it resolves most conflict questions.
Sign Shape and Colour
Shape alone carries meaning. Octagons mean stop, inverted triangles mean give way, diamonds warn of hazards, rectangles give information or rules, and circles or round signs (in many jurisdictions) mark rail crossings or prohibitions. Colours reinforce: red for prohibitions and stop, yellow for warnings, orange for roadworks, green for guidance, blue for services or mandatory instructions, and white or black for regulatory text. A common trap is a warning sign (yellow diamond) described as a rule you must obey immediately; warnings tell you to prepare, not to stop.
Signals and Hand Signals
Steady red, amber and green have precise meanings, and a flashing amber or flashing red changes the rule entirely. Know that a green light does not guarantee a safe turn: you must still yield to pedestrians and, when turning across traffic, to oncoming vehicles. Learn the standard hand signals for left turn, right turn and slowing, because exam questions ask you to identify them from description and because indicator failure is a real riding scenario.
Markings
Solid lines generally prohibit crossing; broken lines permit it when safe. Double centre lines, edge lines, stop lines and hatched areas each carry a rule. A frequent trap is treating a broken line as permission to cross without checking, or ignoring a stop line set back from the intersection.
Rule of Thumb
When signals, signs and markings conflict, obey the most authoritative: officer, then signal, then sign, then paint.