Traffic Signs, Signals, and Pavement Markings
Signs come in three families, and exam questions rarely ask you to name a sign - they ask what it requires of you. Regulatory signs carry the law (stop, yield, speed limits, no left turn, one way) and are mostly white with black or red legends. Warning signs are yellow diamonds telling you a hazard is ahead; orange means a work zone, and fluorescent yellow-green marks school and pedestrian areas. Guide signs are green (blue for services, brown for recreation) and give information only - they never impose a duty.
Shape is your backup cue when the face of a sign is dirty or the sun is behind it: octagon = stop, inverted triangle = yield, diamond = warning, pennant = no-passing zone, pentagon = school, round = railroad ahead, crossbuck = the crossing itself.
Signals: a steady red means stop and stay stopped; a flashing red is a stop sign - stop, then proceed when clear; a flashing yellow means slow down and use caution, never "speed up." A green arrow protects the turn; a red arrow forbids it. Right turn on red is legal after a complete stop unless a sign says otherwise. A steady yellow means the light is changing - stop if you can do so safely; do not accelerate.
Pavement markings: yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions, white lines separate traffic moving the same way. A broken yellow line on your side permits passing; a solid yellow line on your side forbids it. Stop bars are solid white, crosswalks are wide white bars, and turn arrows mean that lane may only make that movement.
Rule of thumb: treat every flashing light as a sign - flashing red is a stop sign, flashing yellow is a caution sign.