New Jersey · Handbook chapter 10 · 6 min read

Chapter 10: Signals, signs and road markings

New Jersey traffic signals and pedestrian signals, sign colors and shapes, warning, work zone, guide and regulatory signs, railroad crossbucks, road markings, rumble strips, speed humps and roundabouts.

Why this chapter matters

Signs and signals are a large share of the knowledge test, and on the New Jersey test they are mixed in with the other 50 questions. Learn the colors and shapes and you can read many signs before you can read their words.

Who you obey first

A police officer directing traffic overrides signals and signs. Flaggers in work zones have the same authority as a regulatory sign. Stealing or damaging traffic, airport or railroad signs brings court penalties.

Traffic signals

On a vertical signal, red is on top, yellow in the middle and green below, with any green arrow at the bottom. On a horizontal signal, red is on the left.

Pedestrian signals

• A steady orange raised palm means pedestrians must not start crossing; those already in the street should finish quickly.
• A white walking person (sometimes with a countdown) means pedestrians may cross, and turning drivers must yield to them.
• Push buttons at some signals change the light to give pedestrians or the side street more time.

Sign colors and shapes

Pedestrian crossing and bicycle warning signs may be fluorescent yellow-green instead of standard yellow.

Warning signs

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black symbols or words. They warn of curves, hills, merges, narrowing roads, intersections, signals or STOP signs ahead, deer and cattle crossings, slippery roads, schools and railroad crossings. A curve warning may carry an advisory speed plaque showing the safe speed through it.

Road work signs

Work zone signs are orange. They warn of lane closings and shifts, flaggers, uneven pavement and detours, and may come with reduced speed limits. In New Jersey all traffic fines are doubled in work zones. Read the signs, keep extra distance, watch for workers and machinery, and follow the flagger.

Guide signs

Guide signs show routes and destinations: Interstate, U.S., state and county route markers, exit and mile markers, and rest areas. Motorist service signs have white letters or symbols on blue.

Regulatory signs

Regulatory signs are usually white rectangles taller than they are wide, with black words. Key examples:

• STOP: red octagon with white letters.
• YIELD: red and white downward-pointing triangle.
• Crossbuck: a white X marked RAILROAD CROSSING, which means the same as a YIELD sign for trains. Trains cannot swerve.
• DO NOT ENTER: a red circle with a white bar on a white square.
• Other common ones: No U-Turn, No Right Turn, No Turn on Red, One Way, Keep Right, Do Not Pass, Wrong Way, No Parking, No Standing, Left Turn Only, Bike Lane, Bicycles May Use Full Lane and Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk.

Two national truck signs are used in New Jersey: green marks routes where large trucks are allowed, and red marks routes where they are prohibited.

Road markings

Road markings carry the same force of law as signs and signals.

• Yellow center lines separate traffic going in opposite directions.
• White lines separate lanes going the same way and mark the road edge.
• A broken line on your side of the center line means you may pass when it is safe; a solid line on your side means do not pass.
• Double solid lines forbid passing from either side.
• Edge lines separate the travel lane from the shoulder.
• White crosswalks mark pedestrian crossings. Where there is no stop line, stop before the crosswalk.
• White stop lines show where to stop at a STOP sign or signal.
• Special white markings spell out warnings such as STOP AHEAD, SCHOOL and RXR.
• White diamonds mark HOV lanes for buses and carpools during the hours posted.
• Arrows show which way you must go from a lane.

At railroad crossings, signs, pavement markings and crossbucks are passive warnings; flashing lights, bells and gates are active warnings.

Other devices

• A fluorescent, reflective orange triangle on the back of a vehicle marks a slow-moving vehicle, such as farm or construction equipment.
• Rumble strips are raised or grooved strips that make noise and vibrate the wheel to warn of a decision point ahead or to wake a driver who has dozed off. They do not damage the car.
• Speed bumps are low ridges across the street; speed humps are longer and flatter.
• A roundabout is a one-way circular intersection where traffic flows around a center island, entering and leaving only by right turns, which cuts down severe crashes.