Signs, signals and markings in Kentucky

By the end of this topic you can

• You can identify the type of sign from its shape and color.
• You can respond correctly to steady, flashing and arrow signals.
• You can read yellow and white pavement lines and know when passing is allowed.
• You can use a shared center left-turn lane correctly.
• You can respond to railroad crossing signs and signals.

What you need to know and understand

• An eight-sided red sign means stop; a downward-pointing red and white triangle means yield.
• Diamond signs warn of hazards; a pentagon marks a school area; a round yellow sign gives advance warning of a railroad crossing.
• Regulatory signs are generally white rectangles with black, red or green lettering.
• Orange signs mark work zones; green, brown and blue rectangles are guide signs.
• A flashing red light means stop fully, then go when clear; a flashing yellow light means slow down and take care.
• The white crossbuck at a railroad crossing has the same meaning as a yield sign.

Read the shape, then the color

• Octagon: stop.
• Triangle pointing down: yield.
• Vertical rectangle: generally a regulatory sign, such as a speed limit.
• Horizontal rectangle: generally a guide sign.
• Diamond: an existing or possible hazard ahead.
• Pentagon: school area.
• Circle: railroad advance warning.
• Red means stop or forbidden, green means movement allowed or directions, yellow is a general warning, and orange marks work zones. Fluorescent yellow-green is used for some school and pedestrian crossing signs.

Traffic lights and arrows

Vertical signals show red at the top, then yellow, then green. Some cities use horizontal signals with red on the left. A yellow light means stop if you safely can; you may finish clearing an intersection you entered on yellow, but entering on red is illegal.

A green arrow lets you go in that direction from the proper lane. A flashing yellow arrow means turn with caution, yielding to others. A red arrow means no turn that way until it changes. With several signals, obey the one over your lane.

Lines on the road

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate lanes going the same way and mark stop lines and crosswalks. You may pass when the line on your side of the center is broken. A solid line on your side means no passing.

A shared center left-turn lane may be used by left-turning traffic from either direction, never for through traffic or passing. Reversible lanes change direction at different times of day, so watch the signals above them.

When a sign or signal tells you to stop, stop behind the stop line. If there is no stop line, stop before the crosswalk; if there is no crosswalk, stop before entering the intersection.

Common mistakes

• Treating a flashing red light like a flashing yellow and rolling through. You must stop fully.
• Speeding up to beat a yellow light. Stop if you can do so safely.
• Using the shared center lane to pass slow traffic. It is for left turns only.
• Stopping on top of the crosswalk instead of behind the stop line.

Test yourself: Signs, signals and markings in Kentucky

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

Go deeper

• Kentucky 60 Hour Practice Driving Log
• Kentucky Bioptic Driving Program
• Kentucky Drivers Ed for Teens