Traffic Signs, Signals, and Pavement Markings
Traffic Signs, Signals, and Pavement Markings
The exam checks whether you can read road information quickly and adjust motorcycle operation for it. Signs tell you what is required or what is ahead; pavement markings tell you where to ride and when passing is allowed. On a motorcycle, paint and metal surfaces also affect traction.
Signs and signals
- Red octagon: stop completely. Inverted triangle: yield.
- Yellow diamond: warning, such as a curve, slippery pavement, or railroad ahead. Yellow pennant: no-passing zone.
- Round yellow sign: railroad crossing. Rectangle: regulatory or service information.
- Motorcycle warning signs alert drivers to riders; for you they may also mark a hazard such as a sharp curve.
- Flashing yellow arrow: yield to oncoming traffic before turning. Steady green arrow: protected turn.
Pavement markings
- Solid or double yellow center lines: no passing. Broken yellow on your side: you may pass when safe.
- White lines separate lanes or mark the edge; stop bars show where to stop; crosswalks mark pedestrian paths.
- Chevrons guide you through a curve. Painted arrows, crosswalk blocks, and thick line paint are slippery when wet.
Worked example
You see a double-yellow center line with a broken yellow line on your side and a slow truck ahead. The broken line means passing is permitted, not that it is safe. Check sight distance, oncoming traffic, and your motorcycle's acceleration; downshift before passing and complete it promptly. If the pass is uncertain, wait.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing a yellow warning diamond with a regulatory sign, ignoring a flashing yellow arrow, and leaning hard on painted markings or tar snakes. Cross railroad tracks as close to a right angle as you can.