Traffic Laws, Road Signs, and Safe Driving Practices
Core concepts
The first domain tests whether you can read the road and apply the rules that keep traffic predictable. Know the three sign families by shape and color: regulatory signs (white background with black/red text, or red-and-white) tell you what you must or must not do; warning signs (yellow diamond, or yellow pentagon for school zones) alert you to hazards ahead; guide signs (green, blue, or brown) give directions and services. Learn the eight-sided red STOP, the inverted-triangle YIELD, the round railroad advance warning, and the five-sided school sign. Pavement markings matter too: a solid yellow line on your side means no passing, a broken yellow line permits passing when clear, and a double solid yellow line forbids passing in both directions.
Right-of-way and signals
Understand who yields at intersections: the vehicle on the left yields to the vehicle on the right when arriving simultaneously, left-turning traffic yields to oncoming traffic, and you always yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and to emergency vehicles using lights and siren. Signal your turns and lane changes at least 100 feet before the maneuver. Know the meaning of steady versus flashing signals - a flashing red is treated like a stop sign, a flashing yellow means proceed with caution.
Traps to watch
Questions love near-miss distinctions: a warning sign is yellow but a construction sign is orange; a school zone uses a pentagon while a pedestrian crossing warning is a diamond. Don't confuse "yield" with "stop." Read every question for words like must, always, and never.
Rule of thumb
When two rules seem to conflict, the more cautious action wins: slow down, yield, and let the other driver go. Example: arriving at a four-way stop at the same time as a car on your right - you yield, because right-of-way belongs to the driver on the right.