Road Signs, Signals and Road Markings
What this domain tests
This section checks whether you can read the road ahead without being told what to do. A Code 3 candidate must recognise a sign from its shape and colour at a glance, and obey markings that carry the same legal force as a sign.
Shape and colour logic
- Red octagon: STOP - a complete halt at the line, every time.
- Inverted red-and-white triangle: GIVE WAY to traffic on the road you are joining.
- Red circle or red border: prohibition, such as no entry, no overtaking, or a speed limit.
- Blue circle: mandatory instruction - you must do what it shows.
- Upright triangle: warning of a hazard ahead, such as a bend, steep descent or railway crossing.
- Rectangle: guidance and information - route markers, distance boards, hospital and fuel signs.
Markings
A solid white centre line forbids crossing, so no overtaking. A broken line permits overtaking only when the road is clear. Where a solid and a broken line run together, obey the line nearest your lane. Yellow lines along the kerb restrict stopping and parking, and a solid white edge line marks the edge of the roadway.
Worked example
You see an upright triangle showing a right-hand bend, and a solid white line down the centre. Reasoning: the triangle warns of a hazard, so speed must come down before the bend; the solid line means you may not cross to overtake even if the road looks clear. Action: slow down, keep left, and stay behind any slower vehicle until the line breaks.
Traps
Confusing the inverted give-way triangle with an upright warning triangle; reading the picture but ignoring the supplementary plate ("150 m", "heavy vehicles"); treating a solid line as advice rather than law.