TwinMilesTraffic lights, arrows and pedestrian signals explained
Signal questions look simple, but the tricky ones turn on one word: steady or flashing, light or arrow. This guide covers the signals that the DMV knowledge test asks about, using rules that hold across US driver handbooks.
Arrows
| Signal | What it means |
|---|---|
| Steady red arrow | Stop. Do not turn in the arrow's direction until it changes. It applies only to that turn. |
| Steady yellow arrow | The protected turn is ending. Prepare to stop, because the signal is about to turn red. |
| Flashing yellow arrow (left turn) | You may turn, but you must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. It is permission to go when it is safe, not a protected turn. |
Green means "go, if it is clear"
A green light does not guarantee the way is clear. Look both ways before entering in case someone is running the red. If traffic ahead is stopped and the intersection is full, wait until there is room on the far side. Entering and stopping in the middle blocks cross traffic.
On a green light without an arrow, a left turn must wait for a gap in oncoming traffic and yield to pedestrians crossing.
Right turn on red
Where a right turn on red is allowed, you must first stop completely and yield to pedestrians and traffic. A red light means stop even when you are turning. Whether it is allowed, and where, depends on your state and on signs at the intersection, so look for a "No Turn on Red" sign.
Pedestrian signals
A flashing upraised hand means time is running out: do not start crossing, and if you are already in the crosswalk, finish crossing. As a driver, yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, including when you are turning.
When a person overrides the light
If a police officer is directing traffic at an intersection where the signal is working, follow the officer's signals. Their directions override signs and signals.
Signals sit alongside signs on the test: see US road signs explained and the right-of-way rules.
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