Read the shape first
Shape is the fastest clue, and it works on a sign you have never seen. An octagon is always Stop. An upside-down triangle is Yield. Triangles warn you of a hazard ahead, circles usually give an order, and rectangles usually inform or point the way.
Then the colour
Red means stop or do not. A red border or bar on a circle marks something you may not do, like entering a road or driving faster than a limit.
Blue usually means you must do something, or it is giving you information.
Then the symbol
The symbol gives the detail: how fast, which way, what is ahead. Rule out answers that do not fit the shape and colour first, then use the symbol to choose between what is left.
A red circle with 60 in it is an order: the most you may drive is 60 km/h. It is not a speed to aim for, and it is not a minimum. On the paper, drop any answer that calls it advice.
Signs people mix up
These pairs cost the most marks, so slow down on them.
- Stop and Yield: Stop is always a full stop at the line. Yield means give way, and you stop only if you must.
- No entry and One way: No entry tells you not to go in. One way tells you which way traffic moves.
- A speed limit is a maximum: a red circle with a number is the most you may drive, not a target.
Practise them
Driver53 covers 500+ road signs. The signs paper is the same for every licence code, and it has the strictest pass mark: 23 of 30.
Short answers
- How do I read a sign I have never seen?
- Shape first, then colour, then the symbol. An octagon is Stop. An upside-down triangle is Yield. A triangle warns, a circle usually orders, and a rectangle usually informs or directs. The symbol only has to choose among the answers that fit that shape.
- Is a speed limit the speed I should drive?
- No. A red circle with a number is the most you may drive, in kilometres an hour. It is not a target and it is not a minimum.
- What is the difference between Stop and Yield?
- Stop is a full stop at the line, every time. Yield means give way, and you stop only when you have to. Stop is the only octagon. Yield is the upside-down triangle.
Based on the K53 learner’s manual. Your centre has the final say on the day.
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