Signals & Pavement Markings
Learn the key concepts before practicing exam questions.
In this topic you'll learn:
- What each traffic light means: solid, flashing, and arrows
- Pedestrian signals and lane reversal signals
- What line colours and patterns on the road tell you about passing and lane changes
- Other pavement markings: arrows, reserved lanes, bicycle lanes, and painted islands
Lights are ordered red, yellow, green from top to bottom (or left to right on horizontal signals).
Solid red: stop before the stop line or crosswalk, or before the intersection if there's neither. Stay stopped until green, except:
- Right on red is allowed after a complete stop, unless a sign prohibits it. Yield to everyone.
- Left on red is allowed only from a one-way street onto a one-way street, after a complete stop.
Solid yellow: the light is about to turn red. Stop before the intersection, unless you are so close that you can't stop safely. If you're already in the intersection, clear it.
Solid green: go, but yield to oncoming traffic when turning left, and to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
Tip, the "stale" green: if the pedestrian signal shows Don't Walk, the light will soon change, so be ready to stop.
Driver's Guide pp. 22–23
| Signal | What to do |
|---|---|
| Green arrow + green light | Go in the arrow's direction without yielding. Other directions: go when safe. |
| Green arrow + red light | Go only in the arrow's direction, without stopping. |
| Flashing red | Treat it like a stop sign: stop, then go when safe. Flashing red in all directions makes a four-way stop. |
| Flashing yellow | Proceed with caution, yielding to pedestrians and vehicles in the intersection. |
| Flashing green | You may go straight or turn without stopping. Opposing traffic has a red light, but still yield to pedestrians. |
Driver's Guide p. 23
Pedestrian signals: a walking figure means pedestrians may cross. An orange hand means Don't Walk, though people already crossing may finish. Some signals count down the seconds left.
Pedestrian crossing signs with flashing yellow lights: slow to 30 km/h or less and yield or stop for pedestrians.
Lane reversal signals control lanes whose direction changes during the day:
- Red X over a lane: do not enter or stay in that lane. Oncoming traffic is using it.
- Green arrow pointing down: you may drive in that lane.
Driver's Guide pp. 23–24
Colour tells you direction:
- Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions. The yellow line should always be on your left.
- White lines separate lanes going in the same direction.
Pattern tells you whether you may cross:
- Solid line: crossing it to pass or change lanes is not permitted.
- Broken line: crossing it to pass or change lanes is permitted, when safe.
Driver's Guide pp. 38–39
| Centre line | Passing |
|---|---|
| Broken yellow | Allowed when safe |
| Solid and broken together | Allowed only for the driver with the broken line on their side |
| Single solid yellow | Not allowed, except passing safely inside an urban area |
| Double solid yellow | Not allowed |
The exception: you may cross the solid yellow line to enter a two-way left-turn lane.
Driver's Guide pp. 38, 67
- Arrows show the movements allowed from a lane.
- Two-way left-turn lane: the centre lane is shared by left-turning traffic from both directions. Enter it only close to where you will turn.
- Diamond markings show a lane reserved for certain vehicles (buses, taxis, bicycles).
- Bicycle lanes: don't drive in them, except to turn or to get in or out of a parking spot. The line is usually dashed near corners where you may enter to turn right. A bicycle with two chevrons above it means cyclists share your lane.
- Large X on a rural highway: a railway crossing is ahead.
- Painted island (striped area): not for travel, stopping, or parking. You may cross it only to enter or leave a driveway or alley.
- Crosswalks exist at intersections even when they aren't marked. Stop lines show where to stop.
- No stopping zone (box with an X near an intersection): leave it clear for large turning vehicles.
Driver's Guide pp. 39–41
| You see | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Solid red | Stop. Right turn OK after a full stop unless a sign says no. |
| Flashing red | Stop sign |
| Solid yellow | Stop unless you can't stop safely |
| Flashing yellow | Caution, yield, then go |
| Green arrow + red | Only the arrow's direction |
| Red X over lane | Don't use this lane |
| Flashing yellow on a crosswalk sign | Max 30 km/h, yield to pedestrians |
| Yellow line | Traffic in opposite directions, keep it on your left |
| White line | Traffic in the same direction |
| Solid line | Don't cross to pass or change lanes |
| Broken line | You may cross when safe |
- Flashing red vs solid red: flashing red is a stop sign (stop, then go when safe). Solid red means stay stopped until green.
- Flashing yellow vs solid yellow: flashing means proceed with caution. Solid means stop if you safely can.
- Left on red is only allowed from a one-way onto a one-way street.
- Solid + broken yellow: only the line on your side counts.
- Single solid yellow in an urban area can be crossed to pass safely. Elsewhere it means no passing.
- Unmarked crosswalks are still crosswalks. Every intersection has one unless a sign says no crossing.