Road Signs, Signals and Markings
Reading Hong Kong's road environment
Road signs, signals and markings tests whether you can read the road environment and apply the correct priority. Questions ask you to identify a sign from its shape, colour and symbol, and to decide what a marking requires in a given situation.
The priority chain
- A police officer in uniform directing traffic: obey first.
- Traffic lights: red means stop at the stop line; amber means stop unless you are so close that stopping would be unsafe; green means proceed only if the way ahead is clear.
- Signs: warning signs are triangles with red borders; prohibitory signs are circles with red rings; mandatory signs are blue circles; informatory signs are rectangles.
- Markings: double white lines, yellow kerb lines, box junctions, stop and give-way lines, and zebra-crossing zig-zags.
A green light is not an unconditional right of way. You must still give way to pedestrians already crossing and to traffic lawfully in the junction. At a zebra crossing, flashing amber globes warn drivers; you must give way to pedestrians on the crossing and must not overtake a vehicle that has stopped for them.
Worked example
You approach a two-way road with double white lines: the line nearest you is continuous, the far line is broken. May you cross to overtake a slow lorry? No. A continuous line on your side means you must not cross or straddle it. The broken line applies to traffic coming the other way, which may cross if safe. The correct action is to wait behind, keep your position and overtake only when the line on your side becomes broken.
Markings that catch riders
- Double yellow lines: no parking at any time; single yellow: no parking during the times shown on the time plate.
- Yellow box junction: do not enter unless your exit is clear; you may wait in it only when turning right and blocked by oncoming traffic.
- Zig-zag lines at a zebra crossing: no overtaking and no parking.
- Stop line: a solid white line means you must stop; a give-way line is double broken.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing the octagonal STOP sign with the inverted-triangle GIVE WAY sign; treating amber as a signal to accelerate; ignoring a police officer because the light is green; assuming a single yellow line always allows night parking; and forgetting that markings can repeat or reinforce a sign rather than conflict with it. Read the whole scene - sign, marking, signal and officer - and apply the highest authority.