Traffic Signs, Signals, and Road Markings
Domain 2 tests whether you can read the road before you reach it: sign shapes and colors, signal meanings including flashing and arrow displays, and pavement markings. Hawaii uses the national MUTCD system, so shape and color carry meaning even when the words are hard to read in rain or at night.
Sign shapes and colors
- Octagon, red: STOP. Come to a full stop at the stop line or crosswalk.
- Inverted triangle, red/white: YIELD. Slow down and give way; stop only if necessary.
- Diamond, yellow: warning of a condition ahead.
- Pennant, yellow: no-passing zone.
- Round, yellow: railroad advance warning.
- Rectangle: regulatory (white/black or red/white) or guide (green, blue, brown).
- Orange: work zone. Fluorescent yellow-green: pedestrian, school, or bicycle warning. Blue: services. Brown: recreation and cultural sites.
Signals
A steady red means stop. A flashing red is treated exactly like a stop sign: stop, then proceed when clear. A steady yellow means the signal is about to turn red; stop if you can do so safely, and never accelerate to beat it. A flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution. A green arrow gives a protected movement. A flashing yellow arrow permits the movement only after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Pedestrian countdown numbers show remaining crossing time, not extra time to start crossing.
Pavement markings
Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate traffic moving the same way. A solid line means do not cross; a broken line means you may cross when safe. Double solid yellow means no passing from either direction. A stop bar sits before the crosswalk. Diamond symbols mark HOV lanes. Edge lines mark the outside of the roadway.
Worked example
You enter a left-turn lane with a flashing yellow arrow while oncoming traffic has a green light. The arrow is not protected. You may turn left only after yielding to oncoming vehicles and to pedestrians in the crosswalk. If the arrow changes to steady yellow, prepare to stop; do not enter the intersection on red.
Traps that cost marks
Flashing red and flashing yellow are not the same. A yellow light does not mean “speed up.” A yield sign does not require a stop when the way is clear, but you must be ready to stop. Do not cross a solid line to pass. Orange means road work, not a warning of a curve. Read markings as well as signs; paint often gives the first clue about lane direction.