Road Signs and Signals
Read shape first, color second
Nearly every sign question on the Georgia permit test can be answered from two features: shape and color. Shape: octagon always means stop; inverted triangle means yield; diamond means warning of a hazard ahead; a pennant (narrow triangle pointing right) marks the beginning of a no-passing zone; a circle means railroad advance warning; a pentagon means school zone or school crossing; a crossbuck X marks the crossing itself; a vertical rectangle is regulatory (a rule you must obey) and a horizontal rectangle is guide or service information.
Color: red means stop, yield, or prohibition; yellow means warning; orange means construction or maintenance; green is guide information such as distances and exits; blue is driver services such as fuel, food, and hospitals; brown is recreation and cultural sites; white with black is regulatory; fluorescent yellow-green marks schools and pedestrians.
Signals
A solid red means stop and stay stopped. A flashing red is treated exactly like a stop sign: full stop, then proceed when clear. A solid yellow means stop if you can do so safely - it never means speed up. A flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution. A green arrow is a protected turn; if the arrow disappears but the circular green remains, your turn is now permissive and you must yield to oncoming traffic.
Traps
- Treating yield as stop: you slow and yield, and stop only if traffic requires it.
- Mixing up flashing red (stop) with flashing yellow (caution).
- Assuming a yellow diamond is a rule; it is only a warning.
Rule of thumb: before answering, ask whether the sign is telling you a rule (white/red), warning you of a hazard (yellow), or giving information (green/blue/brown). Classify the sign and the answer usually follows.