Traffic Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the North Carolina driver license knowledge test. The facts follow the official handbook; the wording is ours.

Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, revised May 2025, chapter 5 "Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings" (pp. 81–89).

Traffic signals

• Circular green: proceed cautiously, straight or turning; turning vehicles yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
• Circular yellow: the signal is about to turn red; stop unless you are too close to stop safely, and never speed up to beat it.
• Steady red: stop. A right turn on red is allowed after a complete stop unless a No Turn on Red sign is posted, yielding to traffic and to pedestrians in or about to enter the crosswalk; failing to yield to such a pedestrian carries a fine of $100 to $500.
• Green arrow: a protected movement; enter cautiously in the arrow's direction. A U-turning driver yields to opposing right-turning traffic when both have green arrows.
• Red arrow: turning traffic must stop.
• Yellow arrow: the protected arrow is ending.

Where arrows and circular signals share a head, arrows govern turning traffic and circles govern through traffic; if no arrow is shown, circles govern both. A signal that has failed (dark) is treated as a stop sign on every approach, unless an officer directs traffic or another device is working. A flashing red means the same as a stop sign; a flashing yellow means the same as a warning sign: slow and proceed with caution.

Flashing yellow arrow heads: solid red arrow, stop, no turn; solid yellow arrow, prepare to stop; flashing yellow arrow, the turn is allowed after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians; solid green arrow, turn without needing to yield, with caution. Ramp meters on freeway ramps: red, stop; green, proceed and merge; dark, merge normally. Hybrid beacons at mid-block crosswalks and emergency-station exits stay dark until activated, then flash yellow, go steady yellow, then steady red while pedestrians or emergency vehicles cross, then alternating flashing red, during which you stay stopped until they clear and then, after a full stop, may proceed.

Regulatory signs

Shape and color identify signs at a glance. The octagon is used only for the stop sign, white on red, usually posted 6 to 50 feet before the intersection; stop at the marked stop line, or with no line or crosswalk, before entering where you can see the cross street, and go only when clear. The triangle with the point down is the yield sign, red and white: slow and yield, stopping if the cross traffic requires it. Rectangles and squares in black-and-white or red-and-white give speed limits and rules such as No U-Turn and Keep Right Except to Pass; disobeying them is a violation. The handicap parking sign reserves a space for vehicles showing a disability plate or placard. Do Not Stop on Tracks reminds you never to stop on a railroad crossing.

Warning signs

The yellow pennant on the left side of the road emphasizes the Do Not Pass sign and points to the start of a no-passing zone (the solid yellow line in your lane). Diamond signs are warnings, black on yellow; black on orange they warn of construction or maintenance. The Stop Ahead sign is one of the most important, placed well before a stop sign hidden by a curve or objects. The round yellow sign with a black cross and RR warns of a railroad crossing ahead: slow and stop if needed to be sure you can clear the tracks. The crossbuck stands at the crossing itself with the track count below it; stop whenever a flagger, signal or gate shows a train and stay stopped until it is safe, looking twice each way. The pentagon marks a school zone or crossing, often with a reduced limit during school hours.

Guide and informational signs

Guide signs give directions, routes, distances and services. Odd-numbered highways generally run north and south, even numbers east and west; U.S. routes use a shield, North Carolina routes a diamond, secondary roads a rectangle, and interstates a red, white and blue shield. Blue and white signs point to hospitals, Highway Patrol stations and telephones; rectangular guide signs may be green, brown or blue. Never stop in the road to read a sign; pull onto the shoulder.

Pavement markings

Yellow lines separate opposite directions; white lines separate lanes going the same way. A broken yellow center line on a two-lane road allows passing with care in both directions; double solid yellow lines may not be crossed to pass either way; with one solid and one broken, you may pass when the broken line is on your side. A single solid white line marks the right edge and guides same-direction traffic; a single solid yellow line marks the left edge of a divided highway, and seeing them reversed means you are going the wrong way. A center two-way left-turn lane is only for left turns from either direction, never for passing or merging. Reflective markers improve visibility at night in the wet: white and yellow follow the lines, red faces wrong-way drivers, and blue marks fire hydrants or water supplies.

Traffic officers

When an officer directs traffic, obey the officer's hand signals over the signals and signs. A raised hand, palm toward you, with a long whistle blast means stop; a waving motion with short blasts means go or keep moving; at night the officer may use a flashlight.

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