Road signs are designed to be understood at a glance, before you can even read them. Their shape and colour tell you what kind of message is coming. Learn that system and most signs explain themselves, which also makes it the fastest way to study for the G1 test.
The system: shape and colour
Ontario’s Driver’s Handbook sorts signs into four main kinds: regulatory signs, warning signs, temporary condition signs and information and direction signs. Shape and colour tell them apart:
| Shape and colour | What it means |
|---|---|
| Red octagon | Stop |
| White triangle with a red border, pointing down | Yield |
| Rectangle or square, usually white or black | A rule you must follow |
| Yellow diamond | A warning: a hazard ahead |
| Orange diamond | A temporary condition, usually construction |
| Five-sided, fluorescent yellow-green | A school zone |
| White X with a red outline | A railway crossing |
| Green rectangle with white letters | Information and directions |
| Orange triangle with a red border | A slow-moving vehicle |
Inside regulatory signs, a green circle means you may, or must, do what’s shown, and a red circle with a line through it means it isn’t allowed.
Signs every new driver should know
StopCome to a complete stop at the stop line. With no line, stop at the crosswalk; with no crosswalk, at the edge of the sidewalk; with neither, at the edge of the intersection. YieldSlow down, stop if you need to, and let traffic in or near the intersection go first. School zoneSlow down and watch for children. On a school zone speed sign, the lower limit applies when the yellow lights flash. Railway crossingWhen a train is coming or the signals flash, stop at least 5 m from the nearest rail. Never go around a lowered gate. Warning: curve aheadYellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. Slow down before the curve, not in it. ConstructionOrange signs mean roadwork. Speeding fines double in a construction zone when workers are present. No left turnThe red circle and line mean the turn shown isn’t allowed here. One wayTraffic on this road moves only in the direction of the arrow. Community safety zoneThe community has flagged a special risk to pedestrians. Speeding fines double during the posted times. Slow-moving vehicleOn the back of farm equipment and other vehicles that travel at 40 km/h or less. Be ready to slow down. Information and directionGreen signs show directions, distances and destinations. ServicesOther colours point to services and attractions, like this hospital sign.
Regulatory signs: the rules
- No stopping, no standing, no parking. Between a pair of signs, “no stopping” means not even for a moment. “No standing” allows only picking up or dropping off passengers, and “no parking” allows only loading or unloading passengers or goods.
- High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are for buses and vehicles carrying a minimum number of people. On provincial highways the minimum is two, the lanes run all day, every day, and crossing the striped buffer is illegal.
- Reserved lanes are kept for buses, taxis, vehicles with three or more people, or bicycles, all the time or at posted hours.
- Pedestrian crossover signs mean be ready to stop and yield. In Hamilton, crossovers range from signs and road markings only to ones with flashing lights and overhead signs. Wait until the pedestrian is completely off the road.
- School bus signs remind you to stop for a school bus when its signals are flashing, including, on multi-lane roads with no median, traffic coming the other way.
Warning and construction signs
Yellow diamonds warn about what’s ahead: curves, hills, merging traffic, lane reductions, animals and more. The warning sign before a railway crossing is also a yellow diamond, and it shows the angle at which the tracks cross the road.
In a construction zone
- Orange signs mark temporary conditions. Obey them even if you can’t see any workers.
- When a traffic-control person shows a STOP paddle, stop and stay stopped until it’s turned. On SLOW, go past slowly and carefully. Disobeying either is 3 demerit points.
- An automatic flagger device works the same way: a red light with the arm down means stop; a flashing amber light means go slowly.
Information and direction signs
Green signs with white letters give directions, distances and destinations. Other colours point to services and attractions. Emergency detour route markers lead drivers around a closed provincial highway and back onto it.
Want help putting signs into practice on real roads? Call or text Mrs. Akbar.
Traffic lights
| Signal | What to do |
|---|---|
| Green | Go, after yielding to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection. |
| Amber | Stop if you can do it safely; otherwise go through with caution. |
| Red | Come to a complete stop. You may turn right after stopping unless a sign forbids it, and turn left only from a one-way road onto another one-way road. |
| Flashing green, or a green left arrow with a green light | An advance green: turn left, go straight or turn right. Oncoming traffic is facing a red. |
| Green left arrow with a red light | A left turn only, while oncoming traffic is stopped. If a yellow arrow follows, don’t start your turn. |
| Flashing red | Stop completely, then go when it’s safe. |
| Flashing yellow | Drive with caution. |
| White vertical bar | A transit signal for buses. Other traffic and pedestrians must yield to the transit vehicle. |
| Lights out | Treat the intersection like an all-way stop: yield to vehicles already in it and to those coming from your right. |
Pedestrian signals matter to drivers too: a walking figure means people may cross; a flashing or steady orange hand means don’t start crossing, but anyone already crossing still has the right-of-way.
Running a red light is 3 demerit points and a fine of $200 to $1,000. Going through on an amber you could have stopped for can cost $150 to $500.
Pavement markings
- Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions. White lines separate traffic going the same way.
- Solid line on your side: it’s unsafe to pass. Broken line: you may pass when the way is clear.
- Continuity lines, wider broken lines spaced closer together, mark lanes that end or exit. On your left, your lane is ending or exiting; on your right, your lane continues.
- Stop lines are single white lines; crosswalks are two parallel white lines, though not every crosswalk is marked.
- White arrows in a lane mean you may only go the way the arrow points.
- Bike lanes are usually marked by a solid white line; enter one only when it’s safe, to turn right. A bike box is where you stop behind cyclists at a red light, and a sharrow, two chevrons above a bicycle, marks a lane shared with cyclists.
Signs and signals people mix up
Flashing green vs. a green arrow
Both let you turn left while oncoming traffic is stopped. A green arrow with a red light means left turns only; a flashing green lets you go any direction.
Crosswalk vs. pedestrian crossover
At an ordinary crosswalk, you can go once the pedestrian is safely past your path, unless a school crossing guard is there. At a pedestrian crossover, you must wait until the pedestrian is completely off the road.
Stop vs. yield
A stop sign always means a full stop. A yield sign only means stop if you need to.
School zone vs. community safety zone
The five-sided school sign warns of children; a community safety zone sign tells you fines are higher. You’ll often see both near schools.
Studying signs for the G1 test
- Learn the categories first: shape, then colour, then the symbol.
- Read the signs chapter of the Driver’s Handbook.
- Test yourself with the G1 practice test, which has 20 questions on signs and signals.
- Name the signs out loud the next time you’re a passenger.
“She gives relatable tips to understand the signs and rules of driving.”
Sources
- Driver’s Handbook: signs (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Driver’s Handbook: traffic lights (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Driver’s Handbook: pedestrian signals (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Driver’s Handbook: pavement markings (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Driver’s Handbook: sharing the road with other road users (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Driving near pedestrian crossovers and school crossings (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Pedestrian crossovers (hamilton.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Highway Traffic Act (ontario.ca/laws) (opens in a new tab)
Quick answers
What are the main types of road signs in Ontario?
Regulatory signs (rules), warning signs (hazards ahead), temporary condition signs (usually construction) and information and direction signs.
What do the colours of road signs mean?
Red means stop or yield, or that something isn’t allowed. Yellow diamonds warn of hazards, orange means construction or another temporary condition, fluorescent yellow-green marks school zones, and green gives directions.
What does a five-sided sign mean?
A school zone. Slow down and watch for children.
What does a red circle with a line through it mean?
The activity shown isn’t allowed. A green circle means you may, or must, do it.
What does a flashing green light mean in Ontario?
It’s an advance green: you may turn left, go straight or turn right, while oncoming traffic faces a red light.
What do you do when the traffic lights are out?
Treat the intersection like an all-way stop. Yield to vehicles already in it and to vehicles coming from your right.
What does a white vertical bar traffic light mean?
It’s a transit signal for buses. Other traffic and pedestrians must yield to the transit vehicle.
When can you pass on a solid yellow line?
A solid line on your side means it’s unsafe to pass. A broken line means you may pass if the way is clear.
What does an orange triangle on the back of a vehicle mean?
It’s a slow-moving vehicle, travelling at 40 km/h or less, like farm equipment.
put it into practice
See them on real roads
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