Road Signs, Signals and Markings
Core concepts
Signs fall into three families you must recognize instantly by shape and color: regulatory (circles and some rectangles - orders such as speed limits, no entry, no parking), warning (triangles with red borders - hazards ahead such as bends, junctions, pedestrian crossings, slippery road), and informational/guide (rectangles, often blue or green - directions, services, place names). A red octagon means STOP; an inverted triangle means GIVE WAY.
Road markings carry the same authority as signs. A solid white or yellow center line means do not cross or straddle; a broken line may be crossed when safe. Double solid lines forbid overtaking. Stop lines, give-way lines, pedestrian crossings (zebra stripes), and yellow curb markings each impose a specific duty. Traffic lights follow the universal sequence: red, red-and-amber, green, amber, red - amber means stop unless it is unsafe to do so.
Traps in questions
- Shape confusion: a triangle warns; a circle orders. A question describing a red-bordered triangle is a warning, not a prohibition.
- Amber-light trap: amber does not mean "speed up"; it means prepare to stop.
- Marking trap: a broken line permits crossing, but only when it is safe and legal to do so - permission is not an instruction.
- Sign-plus-marking trap: when a sign and a marking conflict in appearance, the more restrictive instruction governs.
Worked example
You see a red-bordered triangle showing a pedestrian on a crossing, and ahead the center line becomes solid. The triangle warns of a crossing ahead; the solid line means you may not overtake there. Correct action: reduce speed, keep right of the line, and be ready to stop for pedestrians.
Rule of thumb: triangle = warning, circle = order, rectangle = information.