Photo: Hinto, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This guide covers the road signs, traffic lights and pavement markings in ICBC’s Learn to Drive Smart chapter 3, the material behind the sign questions on the BC knowledge test. You read a sign by its shape, its colour and its message. The facts most often tested are school and playground zone times, light meanings and yellow line passing rules. Read it with ICBC’s road signs practice test, since the signs themselves are pictures.
School and playground zones in BC
| Sign | Limit | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| School zone with a speed tab only | As shown (for example 30 km/h) | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days |
| School zone with times on the tab | As shown | The hours on the tab, on school days |
| School zone, 50 km/h version | 50 km/h | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days when children are on the roadway or shoulder |
| Playground zone | 30 km/h | Every day, dawn to dusk |
School zone and school crosswalk signs are fluorescent yellow-green. The zone ends at the back of the school zone sign on the other side of the street. ICBC examiners say speeding through school and playground zones is a common reason for failing the road test.
Sign types by shape and colour
| Type | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory | States a law; ignoring it is an offence under the BC Motor Vehicle Act | Stop, yield, speed limit, do not enter, one way, no right turn on red, keep right, winter tires or chains required |
| School, playground, crosswalk | Extra caution zones | School zone, playground zone, pedestrian-activated crosswalk |
| Lane use and turn control | Which lanes may turn or go straight; turn control signs hang over the intersection | Left turn only, straight or right, two lanes must turn left |
| Parking | Where and when you can park | No parking, time-limited parking, disabled parking |
| Reserved lane | Marked with a white diamond | Bus only, bus and HOV, reserved curb lane ahead |
| Warning | Mostly yellow diamonds; hazards ahead | Sharp curve, merging traffic, right lane ends, roundabout ahead, deer |
| Object markers | Mounted on the obstruction itself; pay special attention and pass on the side shown | Obstruction, keep right; obstruction, keep left; obstruction, keep right or left |
| Construction | Work zones; obey them and traffic control persons | Crew working, traffic-control person ahead, fine notice for speeding in a work zone |
| Information and destination | Routes, distances in kilometres, services | Trans-Canada Highway marker, hospital, gas |
| Railway | Crossings; always yield to trains | Railway crossing ahead, stop then proceed, stay stopped until gate is fully raised |
BC highway signs worth knowing
- Slow vehicle pullout: slow traffic delaying 5 vehicles must use the pullout.
- Keep right except to pass and move right if driving slower.
- Winter tires or chains must be used when the sign is displayed. See winter driving in Canada for new drivers.
- Stay off this road in major disasters: emergency vehicles only.
- Remove sunglasses, tunnel ahead, snow shed ahead, use headlights ahead.
What BC traffic lights mean
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Steady red | Stop. After a full stop you may turn right, or left onto a one-way street, unless a sign forbids it. |
| Steady yellow | Stop before the intersection unless you cannot safely stop in time. |
| Steady green | Go if the intersection is clear. |
| Flashing red | Stop, then go when safe. |
| Flashing yellow | Slow down and proceed with caution. |
| Flashing green | Pedestrian-controlled light. Go only if the intersection is clear. |
| Green arrow | Turn in the arrow’s direction. |
| Flashing green arrow with steady green | Turn in the arrow’s direction or go straight. |
| Flashing green arrow with steady red | Left turn allowed; through traffic stops. |
| Yellow arrow | Advance left signal is ending. Stop unless you cannot safely do so. |
| Steady white rectangle | Transit priority signal: only buses may go. |
Lane control signals
- Signals hung over each lane show whether you may drive in it, must not drive in it, or must move out into a lane showing a green arrow.
- All flashing yellow: slow down and proceed with caution.
Yellow lines: passing rules
| Marking | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Single broken yellow | Passing allowed when safe |
| Broken and solid yellow | Pass only when the broken line is on your side and it is safe |
| Double solid yellow | No passing |
| Single solid yellow | Passing allowed with extra caution |
| Double broken yellow | Reversible lane; lane control signals show whether you may use it |
| Solid and broken pairs on both sides of a lane | Two-way left-turn lane, shared by both directions |
Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions: a yellow line on your left means oncoming traffic is on the other side of it.
White lines and other markings
- White lines separate lanes going the same way. Solid: do not change lanes. Broken: change when safe.
- Stop line: stop before it.
- Crosswalk lines: stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Some have lights in the pavement.
- HOV lanes: thick solid or broken lines with white diamonds.
- Bicycle lane: bicycle outline, sometimes a diamond; cyclists ride with the adjacent traffic.
- Painted island: keep right; do not drive on or over it.
- Driving over freshly painted, wet markings is illegal.
Common questions
What are BC school zone hours?
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days, unless the sign shows other hours.
Are BC playground zones in effect on weekends?
Yes. The 30 km/h playground limit applies every day from dawn to dusk.
What does a white rectangle traffic light mean in BC?
It is a transit priority signal. Only buses may go.
Can I pass on a single solid yellow line in BC?
ICBC’s guide says passing is allowed with extra caution. You may also cross one to pass a cyclist when safe.
What colour are warning signs?
Most are yellow and diamond-shaped. School zone and school crosswalk signs are fluorescent yellow-green.
What should I do if all traffic lights are out?
Treat the intersection as a four-way stop.
Back to the full guide: Learning to drive in BC. Related: ICBC knowledge test, BC rules of the road, Sharing BC roads.
Sources
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, chapter 3: Signs, signals and road markings” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, chapter 4: Rules of the road” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Tuning Up for Drivers” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Take the practice knowledge test” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Graduated licensing” (icbc.com)