SIGNS, SIGNALS, & ROADWAY MARKINGS

CHAPTER 2

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN……PLEASE TAKE OUT A PIECE OF PAPERAND BE READY TO TAKE A KNOWLEDGETEST ON SIGNS.

THERE ARE MANY, ANDYOU AS A DRIVER,

NEED TO UNDERSTAND

WHAT THEY MEAN.

• YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT TRAFFIC SIGNS AS YOU DRIVE.

• WHILE THEY SERVE MANY PURPOSES, EACH SIGN HAS A SPECIFIC SHAPE AND COLOR

SHAPES AND COLORS

• THERE ARE EIGHT DIFFERENT SHAPES AND EIGHT SIGN COLORS WITH EACH HAVING ITS OWN SPECIAL MEANING.

• YOU CAN GET VALUABLE AND MUCH NEEDED INFORMATION FROM A DISTANCE BY KNOWING THE SIGNS.

• REGULARTORY SIGNS CONTROL TRAFFIC

• WARNING SIGNS ALERT YOU TO POSSIBLE HAZARDS AND ROAD CONDITIONS

• GUIDE SIGNS GIVE DIRECTION

REGULARTORY SIGNS

• TELL YOU ABOUT THE LAWS THAT YOU MUST OBEY. THE MOST IMPORTANT SIGNS, STOP AND YIELD HAVE UNIQUE SHAPES.

• ALL OTHER REGULARTORY SIGNS ARE EITHER WHITE SQUARES OR RECTANGLES WITH RED OR BLACK LETTERING.

STOP SIGN• USED ON A ROAD THAT CROSSES A

MAIN HIGHWAY OR A THROUGH STREET.

• IT IS A RED OCTAGON WITH WHITE LETTERS

• ALWAYS COME TO A FULL, COMPLETE STOP. ONCE STOPPED YOU MUST YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS OR OTHER VEHICLES IN OR APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION.

• TO YIELD MEANS TO ALLOW OTHERS TO USE THE INTERSECTION BEFORE YOU DO.

STOP SIGN• THE LOCATION OF THE STOP SIGN OR

STOP LINE INDICATES WHERE TO MAKE A LEGAL STOP. STOP WHERE YOU CAN SEE APPROACHING TRAFFIC. (LINE UP YOUR MIRROR WITH THE STOP POLE-REF. PT.)

• AT SOME INTERSECTIONS STOP SIGNS ARE POSTED AT ALL 4 CORNERS. THIS IS AN “ALL-WAY” STOP SIGN AND IT MEANS EVERYONE HAS TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND YOU GO IN THE ORDER THAT YOU ARRIVED.

YIELD SIGN• ALWAYS SLOW OR STOP, AND GIVE THE RIGHT

OF WAY TO TRAFFIC WHEN APPROACHING A YIELD SIGN.

• YIELD SIGN CAN BE FOUND WHERE ROADWAYS CROSS OR MERGE.

• SLOWING ENOUGH AHEAD OF TIME CAN OFTEN PERMIT YOU TO PROCEED WITH OUT COMPLETELY STOPPING. PROCEED ONLY WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, WITHOUT AFFECTING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC.

• (DON’T PUTT- PUTT ….)

SPEED LIMIT SIGN• USED TO MANAGE TRAFFIC FLOW

AT SAFE SPEEDS.

• STATE ARE PERMITTED TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN SPEED LIMITS.

• THEY ARE SET FOR “IDEAL” DRIVING CONDITIONS. (BASIC RULE LAW)

• MINIMUM SPEED LIMITS SET ON PRIMARY HIGHWAYS TO KEEP THE FLOW MOVING- DO NOT DRIVE SLOWER THAN WHAT IS POSTED.

• ADVISORY SPEED LIMITS ARE SET FOR SPECIAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS A SHARP CURVE.

• SOME SPEED LIMITS ARE SET FOR A CERTAIN PART OF THE DAY OR FOR NIGHT TIME CONDITIONS.

ADVISORY SPEED LIMIT SIGN

THIS GIVE YOU ARE WARNING AS TO WHAT SPEED IS SAFE TO PERFORM THIS MANUEVER.IF YOU GO FASTER THAN 25MPH… YOU COULD HAVE A PROBLEM.

OTHER REGULATORY SIGNS

• DIRECT TRAFFIC TO TURN OR GO STRAIGHT

• DIRECT ONE-WAY TRAFFIC

• CONTROL PARKING AND PASSING

• SIGNS WITH RED WORD ON WHITE OR WHITE WORDS ON RED USUALLY TELL YOU WHAT NOT TO DO.

• BLACK LETTERED WORDS USUALLY TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO.

• SOME SIGNS HAVE A BLACK SYMBOL IN A RED CIRCLE AND CROSSED BY A RED SLASH. THE RED CIRCLE AND SLASH INDICATE THAT A CERTAIN ACTION IS PROHIBITED.

WARNING SIGNS

•A WARNING SIGN CAN HELP YOU AVOID SURPRISE SITUATIONS.

•MOST WARNING SIGNS ARE DIAMOND SHAPED.

•THEY HAVE BLACK LETTERING ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND.

SCHOOL SIGNS• TWO TYPES OF SCHOOL SIGNS

ARE USED IN SCHOOL ZONES.

• A SCHOOL ZONE SIGN- SHOWING ONLY TWO CHILDREN

• A SCHOOL CROSSING SIGN-SHOWING CHILDREN IN A CROSSWALK AREA.

• THESE ARE POSTED NEAR INTERSECTIONS OR CROSSINGS USED BY CHILDREN.

NO PASSING SIGN• A YELLOW OR ORANGE ,

PENNANT- SHAPED SIGN WITH BLACK LETTERS.

• POSTED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD

• APPEARS AT THE START OF A NO PASSING ZONE AND PROVIDES ADVANCED WARNING.

• USED WITH A SOLID YELLOW LINE ON THE ROADWAY.

DOUBLE YELLOW = DO NOT

PASS!

CONSTRUCTION SIGNS

•ORANGE SIGNS IN A RECTANGLE OR DIAMOND ALERT YOU TO CONSTRUCTION ZONES.

•ORANGE TRIANGLE SIGNS MIGHT BE USED ON VEHICLES AS SLOW MOVING.

• SLOW DOWN, GIVE THEM ROOM TO DO THEIR WORK.

•HUGE FINES FOR SPEEDING IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES.

RAILROAD SIGNS

• A ROUND SIGN WITH A BLACK “X” AND TWO “R’s” IS THE WARNING OF A RAILROAD CROSSING AHEAD.

• SOME ARE WELL MARKED WITH LIGHTS AND GATES.

• SOME ARE RURAL AND JUST USE A SIGN.

• ALWAYS BE CAREFUL AND LISTEN FOR THE HORN.

GUIDE SIGNS• PROVIDES A VARIETY OF INFORMATION.

• MARK ROUTES

• INTERSECTIONS

• SERVICE AREAS

• OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

ROUTE SIGNS• LOCAL,STATE, U.S. AND INTERSTATE ROUTES ARE POSTED WITH

ROUTE SIGNS.

• THEY VARY ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF ROADWAY.

• STATE AND COUNTY ROUTE MARKERS VARY FROM STATE TOT STATE.

• INTERSTATE SIGNS ARE RED, WHITE AND BLUE SHIELDS.

EVEN NUMBERS IS EAST-WEST DIRECTION

ODD NUMBER MEAN IT’S A NORTH – SOUTH

DIRECTION

INTERNATIONAL SIGNS

• WHAT DO THE EIGHT SHAPES AND COLORS OF TRAFFIC SIGNS MEAN?• SHAPES

• OCTAGON=STOP, • TRIANGLE=YIELD,• VERTICAL RECTANGLE= REGULARTORY, • PENTAGON=SCHOOL,• ROUND= RR CROSSING, • PENANT=NO PASSING, • HORIZONTAL RECTANGLE=GUIDE

• WHAT ACTIONS SHOULD YOU TAKE AT:• STOP- come to a complete stop and yield right of way to peds. & vehicles• YIELD- slow or stop and give right of way to cross traffic• SPEED LIMIT- indicate the safe maximum speed or minimum speed with ideal

conditions.

• WHAT ARE SOME SITUATIONS WHERE WARNING LIGHTS MIGHT BE USED?• THEY MIGHT BE USED TO INDICATE A NO-PASSING ZONE, RAILROAD

CROSSING, SCHOOL CROSSING, SCHOOL ZONE OR CONSTRUCTION ZONE.

• WHAT INFORMATION DO GUIDE SIGNS AND INTERNATIONAL SIGNS PROVIDE?• GUIDE SIGNS POINT OUT ROUTES, INTERSECTIONS, SERVICES, AND POINTS OF

INTEREST.

• INTERNATIONAL SIGNS USE SYMBOLS RATHER THAN WORDS

• TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ARROWS, FLASHING SIGNALS. LANE SIGNALS, AND PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS ARE USED TO HELP TRAFFIC FLOW SMOOTHLY.

• ALL TRAFFIC SIGNALS HAVE SPECIFIC COLORS.

• - MEANS STOP

• - MEANS CAUTION: BE READY TO STOP

• - MEANS GO: PROCEED IT THE WAY IS CLEAR

TRAFFIC LIGHTS• VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF

TRAFFIC LIGHTS CAN BE PLACED AT INTERSECTIONS TO CONTROL TRAFFIC.

• YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER A LIGHT.

• GREEN

• YELLOW

• RED

COMPUTERIZED TRAFFIC LIGHTS• OFTEN USED TO CONTROL THE TRAFFIC FLOW. A COMPUTER

COORDINATES TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT SEVERAL INTERSECTIONS.

• YOU CAN “TIME” THE LIGHTS SO YOU MIGHT NEVER HAVE TO STOP (1ST AVENUE NORTH- 25-28 MPH)

• TRAFFIC LIGHTS CAN ALSO BE SET UP WITH SENSORS. IF NO ONE IS THERE, THERE IS NO REASON TO CHANGE THE LIGHT. (38TH STREET AND 2ND AVENUE NORTH) * IF IT SENSES A VEHICLE IT WILL CHANGE TO ALLOW IT TO GO.

RIGHT TURN ON RED • ALL STATES NOW ALLOW DRIVERS TO

MAKE A RIGHT TURN ON RED.

• WHAT THIS MEANS IS YOU HAVE TO STOP FIRST!

• IF IT IS CLEAR YOU CAN THAN GO

•LEFT TURN ON RED• SOME STATES PERMIT DRIVERS TO

MAKE A LEFT TURN FROM A ONE-WAY ONTO ANOTHER ONE-WAY.

FLASHING SIGNALS

• FLASHING RED MEANS –

• FLASHING YELLOW MEANS –

ARROWS

• TRAFFIC MUST FLOW IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ARROW.

• SOME CITIES USE LEFT TURN ARROWS (CONTROLLED ARROW) WHICH MEANS YOU ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE THE LEFT HAND TURN WITHOUT ONCOMING TRAFFIC INTERFERENCE.

• SOME ARROWS TURN YELLOW – CAUTION, IT IS ABOUT TO TURN RED AND YOU WON’T BE ALLOWED TO TURN SAFELY.

LANE SIGNALS

• ARROWS TELLING YOU WHAT LANE CAN DO WHAT AT THE INTERSECITON.

PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS

• USUALLY SAYS “WALK” OR “DON’T WALK”

• SOMETIMES YOU WILL SEE A PERSON