Rules of the Road: Right-of-Way, Traffic Signals, Signs, Railroad Crossings, Work Zones and Pavement Markings: Who Yields at Intersections, Ramps, Driveways and Four-Way Stops, Officers Overriding Signals, Green, Yellow and Red Lights, Right and Left Turns on Red, Flashing Yellow and Red, Green, Yellow and Red Arrows, Obeying the Light Over Your Lane, Yellow Diamond Warning Signs, the Round Advance Sign and the Crossbuck, Escaping a Stalled Car Toward the Train, a Mile to Stop a Freight Train, Orange Work Zone Signs, Flaggers, Barriers and Double Fines, Regulatory Signs From Stop and Yield to Wrong Way and Do Not Enter, Guide and Route Signs, Yellow and White Lane Lines, Crosswalks and Stop Lines, Shared Center and Reversible Lanes, and the Standard Colors and Shapes

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Kentucky Class D operator's license knowledge test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.

Source: Kentucky Driver Manual (KSP/KYTC, July 2026 edition), Section Six "Rules of the Road" (pages 34–41).

Yielding the right-of-way

Right-of-way rules say which driver yields and in what order drivers enter and pass through an intersection, but no one should assume the right-of-way is automatically theirs; the circumstances always govern. Yield to the driver who is at or arrives before you at an intersection; to opposing traffic, including vehicles turning right, when you turn left; to the driver on your right at a four-way stop when you arrive together; to drivers on a public highway when you enter from a driveway or private road; to drivers on a main road when you are on a minor road; to drivers already on a limited-access or interstate highway when you are on the entrance or acceleration ramp; and to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers still in the intersection.

Traffic control devices and signals

Traffic control devices are signals, signs, pavement markings and the directions of law enforcement, highway personnel and school crossing guards; where an officer directs traffic, obey the officer regardless of signals or signs. An intersection is any place where two roads meet. Signals show red, yellow and green from top to bottom; some locations have single lights, and some cities mount them horizontally with red on the left. Green: if the road is clear, after yielding to vehicles and pedestrians lawfully in the intersection, you may go straight or turn, and a left turn on green yields to through traffic from the opposite direction. Yellow: the signal is about to turn red, so stop if you can safely; a vehicle that entered on yellow may clear the intersection on red, but entering after the light turns red is against the law. Red: stop behind the crosswalk or stop line until green. You may turn right on red after stopping, when in the proper lane and the road is clear of vehicles and pedestrians, unless a sign prohibits it; you may turn left on red only from a one-way street into the nearest lane of another one-way street running that direction, after stopping and when clear. A flashing yellow light means slow down and watch for others, found at intersections, construction areas and on some vehicles such as tow trucks. A flashing red light means come to a full stop and go only when clear. Two flashing red lights mark a railroad crossing: stop, and proceed only after they stop flashing and you see no train coming; the crossbuck near the tracks is a regulatory sign meaning the same as a yield sign. A green arrow lets you go in its direction from the proper lane; a flashing yellow arrow means proceed with caution in that direction; an upward green arrow means straight ahead; a red arrow forbids turning that way until it turns green; and with more than one signal, obey the one over your lane.

Warning and railroad signs

Warning signs tell of possible danger ahead, alerting you to slow and be ready to stop, or of a hazard or special situation; they are usually yellow diamonds with black lettering or symbols, and some, such as school zone, school crossing and pedestrian crossing signs, are fluorescent yellow. Many railroad crossings carry signs or signals: a round yellow sign with an X and the letters RR stands before the crossing and tells you to slow, look and listen and be ready to stop; a white X-shaped crossbuck stands at the crossing, and when a train or railroad vehicle approaches you must stop behind the stop line or before the crossing until it is clear; a plaque may give the number of tracks, but not every multi-track crossing has one and not every crossing has lights, so check for more than one track or train. Cross tracks by looking both ways and crossing quickly without stopping; if a train is crossing, wait until it is well down the track or the lights and gates say it is safe; if you must stop for traffic or a signal near tracks, stop at the stop line before them. If you are boxed in or stalled on a crossing, abandon the car immediately and run away from the track in the direction the train is coming from to avoid flying debris, then call the 800 number posted on or near the crossbuck or 911, and do not restart the vehicle until a dispatcher says no train is approaching. An average freight train at 55 mph may need a mile or more to stop. At a multi-track crossing do not start as soon as a train passes; wait for a clear view both ways, since a second train may be coming the other way. Never enter a crossing without room to get completely across; stopping on the tracks is very dangerous. Expect a train at any track, and crossing after the lights flash or the gates are down is illegal.

Work zone signs

Work zone signs are generally orange diamonds or rectangles with black letters or symbols, warning of construction, maintenance or emergency work with workers on or near the road, reduced speeds, detours, slow equipment and poor or changing surfaces. A person with a sign or flag may direct you which way to go, to slow or to stop, and you must obey. Barriers such as drums, cones and tubes keep traffic out of hazardous zones and closed roads, and temporary signals may be used; stop at the white line if present. Give workers a "brake": reduce speed, be ready to stop suddenly, do not tailgate, and remember that fines for speeding in a work zone are doubled.

Regulatory, guide and route signs

Regulatory signs are square, rectangular or specially shaped, white with black, red or green letters or symbols, stating laws on direction, lane use, turning, speed, parking and special situations; a red circle with a slash over a symbol prohibits that action. Speed limit signs, black on white, give the maximum legal speed in ideal conditions. The stop sign is red with white letters and eight sides: stop behind the stop line or crosswalk if there is one and yield to crossing vehicles and pedestrians in all directions. The yield sign is a red-and-white downward-pointing triangle with red letters: slow and let traffic with the right-of-way cross before entering. Shared Center Lane Left Turn Only marks a lane reserved for left-turning vehicles from either direction, not for through traffic or passing. One-Way signs show the only direction of travel; never turn against the arrow. Wrong Way tells you that you are going the wrong direction, and Do Not Enter that you may not enter a street or roadway; both stand at exit ramps and the starts of one-way streets. Guide signs are square or rectangular in green, brown or blue, giving intersecting roads, directions to cities and towns, points of interest, hospitals, service stations, restaurants and hotels. Route number signs show by shape and color whether a road is interstate, US, state, city, county or local; plan with a map and follow the route signs to stay found.

Pavement markings and crosswalks

Pavement markings are painted lines, arrows, words and symbols giving directions and warnings: they divide lanes, show when you may pass or change lanes, mark turn lanes, define pedestrian walkways and show where to stop. Yellow markings separate traffic moving in opposite directions, with a broken line meaning passing is permitted on that side; white markings separate lanes moving the same direction. Crosswalks define where pedestrians may cross; when a sign or signal requires a stop, stop behind the stop line, crosswalk or sign, yield to pedestrians entering or in a crosswalk, remember not all crosswalks are marked, stop before entering the intersection when no crosswalk is apparent, and obey a stop line before a crosswalk first. Other lane controls include the shared center left-turn lane and reversible lanes marked for changing directions of travel.

Standard colors and shapes

Red means stop or forbidden, green movement permitted or directional guidance, yellow general warning. A horizontal rectangle is generally a guide sign; the equilateral triangle is used only for yield; the vertical rectangle is generally regulatory; the diamond warns of existing or possible hazards; the pentagon marks schools; and the round sign is the railroad advance warning.

Practise this with Kentucky Driver License questions

More of this guide