Traffic Signs, Road Markings and Signals
What this domain tests
This section checks whether you can recognise a sign's family instantly, read road markings correctly and obey signals in the right order of priority - the everyday judgement calls examiners use to separate a licensed driver from a competent one.
Reading signs by shape and colour
Kenya follows the Vienna-style system, so shape and colour tell you the family before you read the words or symbol.
- Regulatory (circles, octagons): a red ring on white means a prohibition; a blue circle means a mandatory instruction; a red disc with a white bar means NO ENTRY; the red octagon means STOP and the inverted triangle means GIVE WAY.
- Warning (triangles, red border, apex up): a hazard lies ahead - bend, steep descent, pedestrian crossing, railway crossing, uneven road. Warning signs do not give orders, they tell you to slow down and adjust position.
- Information and guide (rectangles): destinations, route numbers, services, hospital and police directions.
Road markings
- Yellow centre lines: broken means overtaking is allowed when safe; continuous means do not cross it; double continuous means neither side may cross.
- White lines separate lanes and mark the carriageway edge. A solid edge line is not a lane and must not be driven on except in an emergency.
- Zebra stripes: pedestrians have priority; no overtaking and no parking on the approach.
- Yellow box junction: enter only if your exit is clear.
Signals
Red means stop at the stop line. Amber means stop unless you are so close that stopping would itself be dangerous. Green means proceed only if the junction beyond is clear. A police officer's or traffic warden's signals override lights, signs and markings every time.
Worked example
The light turns amber as you reach 30 m from the stop line at 50 km/h. You judge that braking hard would risk a skid and a rear-end collision, so you continue through, checking the exit is clear. Had you been 60 m back, the correct answer would be to stop - the test is proximity and control, not speed.
Traps that cost marks
Treating amber as "accelerate"; confusing NO ENTRY with a one-way arrow; driving on a hatched area or edge line; and ignoring a warden's signal because the light was green.