Kentucky · Handbook chapter 6 · 5 min read

Chapter 6: Right of way, signals, signs and markings

Who yields in Kentucky, traffic lights and arrows, flashing signals, railroad crossings, work zone, regulatory, warning and guide signs, sign colors and shapes, and pavement markings.

Why this chapter matters

The written test includes a signs portion that you must answer from your own knowledge, even if the rest of the test is read to you. This chapter covers the signs, lights and right-of-way rules that make up much of the test.

Yielding the right of way

No one automatically has the right of way. You should yield to:

• A driver who reaches the intersection before you.
• Oncoming traffic when you turn left, including vehicles turning right.
• The driver on your right at a four-way stop when you arrive together.
• Drivers on the public road when you come out of a driveway or private road.
• Drivers on a main road when you are on a minor road.
• Drivers already on the interstate when you are on the entrance ramp.
• Pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers still in the intersection.

A police officer, highway worker or school crossing guard directing traffic overrides signals and signs.

Traffic lights

• Lights run red, yellow, green from top to bottom. On horizontal signals, red is on the left and green on the right.
• Green: go if the way is clear, after yielding to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection. Left turns yield to oncoming traffic.
• Yellow: red is coming next, so stop if you can do it safely. You may clear the intersection if you entered on yellow, but entering on red is illegal.
• Red: stop behind the crosswalk or stop line. You may turn right on red after stopping unless a sign forbids it. A left turn on red is allowed only from a one-way street onto a one-way street, after stopping.
• Flashing yellow: slow down and watch for others.
• Flashing red: come to a full stop, then go when it is clear.
• Green arrow: go in that direction from the proper lane. Flashing yellow arrow: turn with caution. Red arrow: no turn that way until it turns green.
• With several signals, obey the one over your lane.

Sign colors and shapes

Regulatory signs

These are white (or red) signs that state laws you must obey. A red circle with a slash forbids whatever it shows.

• STOP: stop behind the line or crosswalk, then yield in all directions.
• YIELD: slow down and let traffic with the right of way go first.
• DO NOT ENTER and WRONG WAY: found at exit ramps and the start of one-way streets.
• ONE WAY: traffic flows only the way the arrow points.
• Center lane left turn only: a shared lane for left turns from both directions, never for passing or through traffic.
• SPEED LIMIT: the most you may drive in ideal conditions.
• Lane-use, turn, passing and parking signs, such as DO NOT PASS, KEEP RIGHT and NO TURN ON RED.

Warning signs

Usually yellow diamonds with black symbols. School, school crossing and pedestrian signs may be fluorescent yellow-green. Common ones warn of curves and turns, merging traffic, lanes ending, divided highways starting or ending, signals, STOP or YIELD signs ahead, hills, slippery roads, low clearance, narrow bridges, soft shoulders and the end of pavement.

Railroad crossings

• A round yellow sign with an X and RR comes before a crossing: slow down, look and listen.
• The white X-shaped crossbuck at the crossing means the same as a YIELD sign. A plaque may show how many tracks there are.
• Two flashing red lights at a crossing mean stop, and go only after they stop and no train is coming.
• After a train passes on a multi-track crossing, wait until you can see clearly both ways: a second train may be coming.
• A freight train at 55 mph may need a mile or more to stop.
• Never start across unless there is room to get completely over. Crossing when lights flash or gates are down is illegal.
• If you stall on the tracks, get out at once and move away from the tracks toward the direction the train is coming from, then call the number on the crossbuck or 911.

Work zone and guide signs

Work zone signs are orange diamonds or rectangles. Obey flaggers, slow down and do not tailgate. Fines are doubled where posted. Barriers, drums, cones and tubes keep you out of hazardous areas.

Guide signs are green, brown or blue rectangles that show routes, destinations, services and points of interest. Route signs show the road type by shape and color: interstate, U.S., state, county or local.

Pavement markings and crosswalks

• Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate lanes going the same direction.
• A broken line on your side means you may pass when safe; a solid line on your side means you may not.
• Reversible lanes are controlled by lane signals over the road: a red X means do not drive in that lane, and a green arrow means you may.
• Stop at the stop line, crosswalk or signal. If there is a stop line before the crosswalk, obey the stop line first. Not all crosswalks are marked, and you must yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk.