Traffic Signs, Signals, and Markings
Core concepts
Sign questions test recognition by shape, color, and symbol. Learn the shape code: octagon means stop, inverted triangle means yield, diamond means warning, pennant means no-passing zone, and round means railroad advance warning. Color carries meaning too: red for stop/prohibition, yellow for warnings, orange for construction, green for guidance and permitted movements, blue for services, and fluorescent yellow-green for pedestrian and school warnings. Signals follow a hierarchy: solid red means stop; flashing red means stop then proceed when safe; flashing yellow means proceed with caution; a green arrow protects that movement. Pavement markings matter: a solid yellow line means no passing, a double solid yellow means neither direction may pass, and a broken white line separates same-direction lanes.
Traps
The exam mixes up flashing red and flashing yellow, and confuses a warning diamond with a regulatory sign. Remember that a yellow diamond warns of a condition ahead, not a rule you must obey right now. Railroad crossings use a round advance-warning sign, not a diamond. Also watch for questions about shared center turn lanes marked by solid and broken yellow lines, which are for turning only.
Rule of thumb
Read a sign in three steps: shape, then color, then symbol. Shape tells you the category, color tells you the urgency, and the symbol tells you the specific hazard or rule.
Worked example
A diamond-shaped yellow sign showing a curving arrow warns of a curve ahead; slow before the curve rather than braking hard inside it.