CHAPTER 3
Signs, Signals, and Pavement Markings
Regulatory and Warning Signs
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Roadway signs provide important information about
where you are, where are going, and what rules or
laws to follow. Traffic signs have uniform shapes
and colors.
Signs may also display words, symbols, or a
combination of both.
There are two types of traffic signs
 Regulatory
 Warning
Regulatory Signs
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Regulate or control the movement of traffic.
Inform you of laws that apply at a given time or
place.
Most signs are red, white, black, green on white, or
white on black.
Most are vertical rectangles (taller than wide).
They show speed limits, turning restrictions, lane use,
and pedestrian and parking controls.
A RED CIRCLE WITH A RED SLASH THROUGH IT
MEANS NO.
Actions to take
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Regulatory signs give commands or set limits.
The four most common are:
 Stop
signs – 8 sided, red, and tell you where to stop.
 Speed limit signs – indicate the maximum speed you
may drive under IDEAL conditions.
 Yield signs – reveals who has the right of way when
crossing or entering a road way.
 Railroad signs – indicate railroad tracks crossing the
roadway.
Stop Signs
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Most often seen at the intersection of two roadways.
May be a stop sign on all four corners or on only one or
two corners. Sometimes located in the middle of the
block indicating crosswalks.
You must come to a FULL STOP. Often a white line is
painted in line with the sign. Sometimes there are two
lines indicating a pedestrian crosswalk just beyond the
stop line. You are required to stop in front of the first
white line you come to. (Before the white line.
After you stop, if there is no cross traffic from the right
or left, you may proceed.
Yield Signs
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At a yield sign you move from one roadway onto or
across another one.
As you approach, slow down and check oncoming
traffic and the traffic behind you.
Search left and right for cross and oncoming traffic.
If a vehicle is coming toward you, you will have to
judge its distance and speed then decide whether
you can safely enter or cross the road. You may
need to slow down or stop and wait until the
roadway is clear of traffic before you proceed.
Yield sign
Speed Limit Signs
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Show the maximum, or fastest, speed allowed on a
roadway. Driving faster than the posted speed is
illegal. Some speed limits also post minimum speed
limits and are usually seen on expressways. You
should not travel slower than the minimum speed
limit unless road or weather conditions make it
unsafe.
Railroad Signs
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Located where railroad tracks cross the roadway.
May also have signals, flashing red lights, and
railroad gates.
Regardless of whether or not lights and gates are
present, if a train is coming, you must stop.
RR sign
RR crossing
Warning Signs
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Alerts you to changes in the condition or use of the
roadway ahead.
Include construction and maintenance, school zones and
crossings, railroad crossings, curves, intersections,
changes in road width, and pedestrian, animal, and
vehicle crossings.
May see one when a road or lane is closed, near a
school, or when there is a dangerous road condition.
All warning signs are either yellow, fluorescent yellowgreen, or orange with black letters. They use numbers
or symbols and most are diamond shaped.
Construction sign
What is this sign?
Warning Sign Procedures
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Actions to take at Warning signs:
 When
you see a warning sign, increase your level of
alertness to changes in the roadway, in traffic, or in
environmental conditions. Always proceed with
caution
 Pedestrian
or School Zone signs: you must slow down and
proceed with caution. Inattentive pedestrians and children
playing may run in the street. School zone signs are 5 sided
and shaped like a house.
 Railroad Advance-Warning signs: slow down before you
reach the tracks and be prepared to stop.
Guide and International Signs
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Provide information about where you are, where
you are going, how to get there, how far you have
to go, and what services and sites are available.
Guide
Functions of Guide Signs
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Identifies roadways and routes, provides mileage
information, points out road services (rest stops and
service stations), directs you to recreational areas and
points of interest.
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Route Markers: Identify which route you are driving on.
Various symbols and colors are used to identify the route as
an interstate highway or a state or county road
North and South routes are ODD numbered
 East and West routes are EVEN numbered
 Interstate routes that lead INTO cities have three digits and begin
with an ODD digit.
 Interstate routes that go AROUND a city have three digits and
begin with an EVEN digit.
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Destination & Mileage Signs
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Typically located over highway lanes.
Tells you where you are, which lane to take to get to
your destination, what exits are coming up, how far
away exits are.
Green with white lettering.
Roadside Service Signs
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Blue signs with white letterings that refer you to gas,
food, or phone.
Roadside service
Recreational-Area Signs
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Brown with white lettering and guide you to
national parks, historic sites, and other places of
interest.
Rec. signs
Rec. signs
International Signs
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One you can understand without knowing another
language.
Use colors, shapes, and symbols, to provide fast,
accurate communication.
International signs
Pavement Markings
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Provide drivers and pedestrians with important
information, directions, and warnings about
roadway travel.
Yellow and White Lines
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Provide directions or warnings for drivers.
Yellow lines: Separate traffic traveling in opposite
directions. May be single, double, solid, or broken.
 Single
Solid: No passing allowed
 Single Broken: Passing allowed
 Double Solid: No passing either side allowed
 Double Broken: Passing allowed both sides
Example
White Lines
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Mark lanes for traffic moving in the same direction.
 Broken
Lines: Allowed to move from lane to lane
 Solid Lines: Not allowed to move from lane to lane.
Solid lines also indicate the sides of the road and
where the shoulder starts.
HOV Lane: High Occupancy Vehicle sign specifies the
minimum number of passengers required (2 or more) to
use the restricted lane.
Shared Left Turn Lanes
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Found on large roads with four or five lanes traveling in
each direction.
Delineated by right or left turn arrows on the ground
pointing in the direction that lane leads to.
Vehicles moving in either direction can use this lane to
make left turns into an entrance.
Drivers who want to make left turns onto the roadway
can also move into the shared left-turn lane and wait
for a gap in traffic.
Demarkated by parallel solid and broken yellow lines
with white arrows that point alternately left and right.
Procedures for using Shared Left-Turn
Lanes
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Don’t get in the lane too soon: The longer you drive in
the center lane, the more likely you are to meet
someone traveling in the opposite direction. Give
yourself just enough time to check traffic in all
directions, signal, enter the lane, straighten out your
vehicle and, if necessary stop, and yield before turning.
Watch for Vehicles pulling out of driveways and
cross streets: Other drivers may cut across in front of
you or turn into the shared lane to wait for a gap in
traffic.
Use the shared left-turn lane only to turn left: If you
do not intend to turn stay out of the lane!
Double-Dashed Lines
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Yellow lines that are broken and used to mark a
reversible lane.
Used in large cities with heavy rush hour traffic to
improve traffic flow in one direction in the morning
and the opposite direction in the evening.
During non-rush hour traffic you may switch lanes to
pass other vehicles as long as it is safe to do so.
Traffic-Control Devices
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Keeps traffic moving in an orderly manner. Includes
traffic lights, pedestrian signals, traffic officer
signals.
Traffic Signals
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Used to control traffic by indicating who has been
granted the right of way. It is important to know
what each color and symbol mean as well as how to
respond to them.
 Signal
Sequence: Standard is Green, Yellow, Red.
 Upright
= Red (top), Yellow (middle), Green (bottom)
 Horizontal = Red (left), Yellow (middle), Green (right)
 Flashing Traffic Signal: Red flashing light is to be treated the
same as a stop sign.
Traffic light
Pedestrian Signals
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Located at busy intersections.
Words or signals telling pedestrians how to
proceed.
Flashing pedestrian signals might flash “Walk” or
“Don’t Walk”. (it may also use colors such as white
and orange)
Pedestrian signals
New Pedestrian signals
Traffic Officer’s Signals
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Overrule ALL other signals
Follow the officer’s signals even if they contradict
the normal traffic sign or signal.
Chinese Traffic Officer
Geico Commercial
Lane Use Lights
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Indicate which lane or lanes you can use at any
given time.
Often found in tunnels or on bridges.
Holland tunnel