Signs, signals and markings in Delaware

By the end of this topic you can

• You can identify a sign's purpose from its shape and color.
• You can explain what each traffic light and pedestrian signal means.
• You can read white and yellow lane lines and know when you may pass.
• You can respond to lane-control signals, reserved lanes and work zone devices.

What you need to know and understand

• Red octagon: stop. Downward triangle: yield. Five-sided: school.
• Yellow diamond: warning. Orange: work zone. Green: guide. Blue: services. Brown: recreation.
• A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead; the white crossbuck at the tracks means yield to trains.
• Speed limit signs are black on white; advisory speed signs are black on yellow.
• White lines separate traffic going the same way; yellow lines separate opposite directions.
• A green arrow over a lane means you may use it; a red X means you may not; a yellow X means leave the lane.
• A triangular orange sign on the back of a vehicle marks a slow-moving vehicle.

Reading a sign before you can read the words

• Octagon (eight sides), red: stop. It is the only sign with this shape.
• Downward-pointing triangle: yield.
• Pentagon (five sides): school or school crossing. Fluorescent yellow-green versions may be used.
• Round, yellow with an X and RR: railroad crossing ahead.
• Diamond, usually yellow: warning of a hazard such as a curve, merge or slippery road. Orange diamonds mark work zones.
• Rectangles: white for regulations such as speed limits, green for directions, blue for services such as gas and food, brown for parks and recreation.
• Route markers: the U.S. shield for U.S. routes, a white circle for state routes, and the red and blue shield for interstates.

Lights, arrows and pedestrian signals

Steady red means stop; yellow means the light is about to turn red, so stop if you safely can; green means go with caution, yielding to anyone already in the intersection. Arrows apply only to the direction they point. Flashing red means stop as at a stop sign, and flashing yellow means slow down and take care. Pedestrians follow WALK and DON'T WALK signals, and you must yield to a pedestrian with a WALK signal.

At HAWK signals and rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, which pedestrians activate with a button, slow down and yield.

Lines on the road

• Broken white line: you may change lanes when safe. Solid white: lane changes are discouraged. Double solid white: lane changes are prohibited.
• Broken yellow center line: you may pass when safe. A solid yellow line on your side: no passing. Double solid yellow: no passing for either direction, though you may cross to turn into a driveway when safe.
• Shared center lane, marked with solid and broken yellow lines on each side: for left turns by traffic from both directions.
• Reversible lanes, usually marked with double broken yellow lines, change direction at certain times. Check the overhead signals before using them.

Merges and reserved lanes

A zipper merge sign asks drivers to use both lanes up to the point where one ends, then take turns merging. HOV lanes are for vehicles carrying the number of people shown on the sign, and lanes marked for buses or bicycles are reserved for them. Our Delaware permit practice test includes sign questions in this style.

Common mistakes

• Thinking a yellow advisory speed is a legal limit you can ignore. Going faster and crashing can still count as unsafe speed.
• Passing when the solid yellow line is on your side. Only a broken line on your side permits passing.
• Merging early and then blocking the open lane at a zipper merge. Use both lanes and take turns at the merge point.
• Driving in a lane under a yellow X. It means the lane is changing direction, so move out safely.

Test yourself: Signs, signals and markings in Delaware

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Delaware Permit Test
• Delaware Permit Practice Test
• Delaware Driver’s Ed and the Blue Certificate