Rules of the Road: Right-of-Way, Traffic Signals, Signs, Pavement Markings and Lane Controls: Who You Yield To and the First-Car and Same-Time Rules, Traffic Control Devices, Green, Yellow, Red and Flashing Signals and Turning on Red, Warning Signs, Railroad Signs and the Blue Emergency Sign, Work Zone Signs, Barriers and Flaggers, Regulatory Signs, Speed Limit, Stop and Yield, the Shared Center Lane and One-Way Signs, Guide, Route, Secondary and Evacuation Route Signs, Yellow and White Lines, Reversible Lanes, Crosswalks and Stop Lines
Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the South Carolina beginner's permit knowledge test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual (SCDMV, AAMVA-based, March 2026 file), Section 6 "Rules of the Road" (pages 6-1 to 6-16).
Yielding right-of-way
Right-of-way rules say who should yield and in what order vehicles enter an intersection, but no one should assume the right-of-way is automatically theirs; judge each situation. Yield to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers still in the intersection; to the driver who is at or reaches the intersection before you (the first-car rule); to opposing traffic when you turn left; to the driver on your right when you both reach a four-way stop at the same time (the same-time rule); to traffic on a public highway when you enter from a driveway or private road; and to traffic already on a limited-access or interstate highway when you are on the entrance or acceleration ramp.
Traffic signals
Traffic control devices are signals, signs, pavement markings and the directions of law enforcement, highway personnel and school crossing guards. Signals are usually red, yellow and green from top to bottom, some locations use a single color, and some cities mount them horizontally with red on the left. Green means go through with caution if the way is clear. Yellow follows green and warns that red is coming; stop and wait for the next green, or if already in the intersection clear it quickly, and allow for other drivers' errors on all sides. Red means stop before the intersection and wait behind the stop line, crosswalk or intersection for green; you may turn right on red unless a sign prohibits it, after stopping before the crosswalk on the near side and yielding to pedestrians lawfully in or beside the crosswalk and to other traffic. Flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution, ready to stop for traffic entering the intersection. Flashing red means stop behind the stop line, crosswalk or intersection exactly as at a stop sign, look both ways and yield.
Warning signs
Signs convey rules, hazards, location, directions and services through shape, color, symbols and words. Warning signs are usually yellow with black lettering, typically diamond shaped, and some, such as school zone, school crossing and pedestrian crossing signs, are fluorescent yellow. Common ones include Cross Road Ahead, Side Road Ahead, T-Intersection Ahead, Y-Intersection Ahead, Curvy Road Ahead, Right Curve, Divided Highway Begins, Divided Highway Ends, Lane Ends, Merging Traffic, Added Lane, Traffic Signal Ahead, Stop Sign Ahead, Sharp Curve Ahead, an Advisory Speed plate for a curve, School Crossing, Pedestrian Crossing, Share the Road with Bicycles, Bicycle Crossing and Slippery When Wet.
Railroad crossing signs
A round yellow sign with an X and the letters RR stands before a crossing and tells you to slow down, look and listen and be ready to stop. The white X-shaped crossbuck stands at the crossing; when a train or rail vehicle approaches you must stop behind the stop line or before the crossing until it is clear. A plaque gives the number of tracks where there is more than one, but not every multi-track crossing has one, so check for a second track and a second train. Not all crossings have lights. Look both ways and cross quickly without stopping; if a train is crossing, wait until it is well down the track or the lights and gates show it is safe. If you must stop for traffic or a signal near tracks, stop at the stop line before them. If your vehicle is stuck on the tracks, call the emergency number on the blue sign and give the crossing information.
Work zone signs
Work zone signs are orange diamonds or rectangles with black lettering, warning of workers ahead, reduced speed zones, detours, slow construction equipment and poor or changing surfaces: Flagger Ahead, Workers Ahead, One Lane Road Ahead, Road Construction Ahead and Detour. A person with a sign or flag may direct you to slow, stop or change direction, and you must obey. Drums, cones, tubes, panels, barriers and Road Closed signs keep traffic out of dangerous areas and closed roads, and temporary signals may be used; stop at the white line when one is present. Reduce speed, be ready to stop suddenly, never tailgate, and know that endangering a highway worker brings a fine and points.
Regulatory signs
Regulatory signs are square, rectangular or specially shaped, white with black, red or green letters or symbols, and state laws on direction, lane use, turning, speed, parking and special situations; a red circle and slash prohibits an action. Examples: No Left Turn, No Right Turn, No U-Turn, Straight, Left Turn Only, Straight or Turn Right. Speed limit signs are black and white and give the maximum legal speed in ideal conditions. The stop sign has eight sides, red with white letters: stop behind the stop line or crosswalk, or if there is none at the nearest point where you can see both ways without entering the cross lane, then look in all directions and yield. The yield sign is a red and white downward triangle: slow down and let traffic with the right-of-way cross before entering. Shared Center Lane Left Turn Only marks a lane reserved for left turns from either direction, never for through traffic or passing. One-Way signs show the only direction of travel; never turn against the arrow or drive the wrong way.
Guide, route and special signs
Guide signs are square or rectangular, green, brown or blue, and cover intersecting roads, cities and towns, points of interest, hospitals, service stations, restaurants and hotels. Route number signs show by shape and color whether the road is interstate, US, state, city, county or local; plan with a map or GPS and follow the route signs. A secondary system road marker starts with "S", then the county number, then the road number; each county has its own set of secondary roads, mostly shown only on county maps, and in rural areas they are local roads not meant as through routes for unfamiliar drivers. An evacuation route sign marks a road used when a hurricane evacuation is declared for the coast.
Pavement markings and lane controls
Lines, arrows, words and symbols divide lanes, show where you may pass or change lanes, mark turn lanes, define pedestrian walkways and mark stop points. Yellow markings separate two-direction traffic: a dashed yellow line permits passing; a solid and dashed pair permits passing only when the dashed line is on your side; double solid yellow prohibits passing in both directions. White markings separate lanes going the same direction, and a dashed white line permits passing. A shared center left-turn lane and reversible lanes are marked with their own line patterns and signals. Crosswalks define where pedestrians may cross; when a sign or signal requires a stop, stop behind the stop line or crosswalk, or if there is neither at the nearest point where you can see both ways without entering cross traffic; yield to pedestrians entering or in a crosswalk; not all crosswalks are marked, so stay alert, stop before the intersection when none is apparent, and obey a stop line ahead of a crosswalk first. Crosswalks may be marked in three common patterns.
Practise this with South Carolina Driver License questions
More of this guide
License classes D through M and the CDLs, documents, the beginner's permit and its 180-day and 30-day holding periods, the 40 practice hours, the conditional and special restricted licenses and the waiver, the skills test vehicle and maneuvers, retest waits, moving in and out of state, renewal, the point system, the defensive driving course, reinstatement and route-restricted licenses.
The 20/40 vision standard and lens restriction, when vision is screened, sleep and the 100-mile rule, distractions and the Hands-Free Act with its $100 and $200 fines, aggressive behaviors, alcohol in 40 percent of fatal crashes, zero tolerance under 21, how alcohol impairs, DUI, DUAC, 0.15 and implied consent, drugs, emotions and the self-check for older drivers.
Monthly tire pressure and the penny test, sitting 10 inches from the wheel, setting the mirrors, the primary safety belt law, wearing the belt, air bags as supplements, child seats from rear-facing to 57 inches, children seven and younger in back, securing a load, driver assistance features and their limits, hand-to-hand and hand-over-hand steering and backing up.
Right and left turn positions, two-point and three-point turnabouts, left-right-left at intersections, never trusting a turn signal, the diverging diamond and the RCUT, roundabouts, when you must stop for a school bus and when you need not, disability spaces, 18 inches from the curb, angle, perpendicular and parallel parking, hills, ramps, passing steps and bans, being passed and the zipper merge.
Looking 20 to 30 seconds ahead, slowing before curves, hydroplaning, flooded roads and the six-inch and two-foot rules, perception, reaction and braking distance, the four-second following distance and when to add more, space to the side and behind, headlights, the horn, signaling 100 feet, braking with ABS, steering and accelerating out of trouble, skids, drop-offs and vehicle malfunctions.
Yielding to pedestrians even outside crosswalks, stopping for white canes and guide dogs, bicyclists' rights, bike lanes and hand signals, a full lane and four seconds for motorcycles, the side, front and rear No Zones, 335 feet to stop a truck, wide right turns, what to do when police stop you, weapons and tickets, the Move-Over law and the orange triangle under 25 mph.
High beams that see twice as far, dimming at 500 feet and within 200 feet, low beams in fog, adding seconds at night, work zone injuries and slowing even with no workers, gravel, narrow roads, single-lane bridges, steel gratings and blind corners, bridges that freeze first, chains, rocking out of snow, ABS versus standard brakes, loading a trailer 60/40, sway, 55 mph and backing a trailer.