Signals and Road Markings
Signals and Road Markings covers the moving rules of the carriageway: what each light phase requires, what lane lines permit, and where you must stop.
Signals
- Red: stop behind the stop line or crossing.
- Amber: stop unless you are so close that stopping would be unsafe. Amber is not a licence to accelerate.
- Green: proceed only if your exit is clear; do not enter a junction you cannot clear.
- Green arrow: you may move in the arrow direction, but only after giving way to pedestrians and traffic already lawfully in the junction.
- Flashing amber at a crossing: proceed with caution, giving way to pedestrians.
- A police officer's signals override the lights.
Markings
- Broken white line: lane division; cross when safe and necessary.
- Solid white line: do not cross or straddle.
- Double solid lines: neither side may cross.
- Yellow lines normally separate opposing traffic; white lines separate lanes moving the same way.
- Stop lines, give-way lines, box junctions, hatched areas and pedestrian crossings are legal markings, not decoration.
Worked example
A two-way road has a broken white line on your side and a solid white line on the other side. The line nearest you governs you: because yours is broken, you may cross to overtake when the road is clear and it is safe. The oncoming driver sees a solid line and may not cross, so do not rely on them moving over.
Traps
Crossing a solid line to overtake a slow lorry. Entering a box junction on green and stopping in it. Reading the far-side line instead of the line nearest you. Treating a green light as an unconditional right to proceed.