Traffic Laws, Signs, Signals, and Road Markings
Sign and marking questions are points you should not give away if you know the code - shape tells you the type of message, color tells you the urgency. Kentucky's exam also tests right-of-way and the meaning of flashing signals.
Shape and color
- Octagon = stop; inverted triangle = yield; diamond = warning; pennant = no-passing zone; round = railroad advance warning; crossbuck = railroad crossing.
- Red = stop, yield, prohibition; yellow = warning; orange = work zone; green = guide and distance; blue = services; brown = recreation; fluorescent yellow-green = school, pedestrian and bicycle warning.
- A white background with black lettering is regulatory - speed limits, lane use, turn restrictions.
Pavement markings and signals
Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions: broken yellow means you may pass when clear, solid yellow means no passing from your side, and a double line with one solid and one broken means no passing for traffic on the solid-line side. White lines separate traffic moving the same way and mark crosswalks, stop lines and edge lines. A steady red means stop; right turn on red is allowed after a full stop unless posted otherwise. Flashing red means stop, then proceed when clear. Flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution. A dark signal is normally treated as an all-way stop.
Worked example
You see a solid yellow line on your side and a broken yellow on the other, on a two-lane road approaching a curve. Reasoning: the solid line is yours, so passing is prohibited for you; oncoming traffic may pass. The broken line is not your permission.
Traps
Confusing yield with stop; reading a broken line on the wrong side as your permission to pass; ignoring orange work-zone limits; treating a flashing yellow arrow as a stop.