Traffic Signs, Signals and Road Markings
Core concepts
Signs come in families defined by shape and color. Red octagons mean stop; red triangles mean yield; yellow diamonds warn of hazards ahead; orange diamonds mark construction; white rectangles carry regulatory messages (speed limits, lane use); green rectangles give guidance and distance. Pennants (yellow) mark no-passing zones, and round yellow signs warn of railroad crossings. Signals follow a fixed hierarchy: solid red means stop, solid green means proceed when clear, and arrows control specific movements. A green arrow gives a protected turn; a red arrow forbids that movement. A steady yellow means the light is about to turn red - stop if you can do so safely.
Traps to watch
Questions test whether you treat a yellow light as "speed up." It is not a permission to accelerate; it is a warning to clear the intersection only if stopping is unsafe. Another trap is the solid versus dashed line: a solid white line means stay in your lane, while a dashed white line permits lane changes. A solid yellow center line on your side means no passing; a broken yellow line on your side means passing is permitted when safe. Double solid yellow means no passing in either direction.
Worked example / rule of thumb
You see a yellow diamond showing a curving arrow with a recommended speed plate below it. Read it as: hazard ahead, reduce speed now, and take the curve at or below the posted advisory speed. Rule of thumb: match the color to the job - red for stop/yield/prohibition, yellow for warning, orange for work zones, white for rules, green for guidance.