Traffic Signs and Signals

There are five Classes of traffic signs and signals

A. Danger Warning Signs

B. Regulatory Signs
C. Informative Signs
D. Traffic Light Signals
E. Carriage way Marking
A. DANGER WARNING SIGNS

Have a red triangle on top

They warn us of possible dangers ahead

They do not carry the force of law.

e.g. Animal crossing place

Curve ahead – curve, sharp curve and double curve
Road narrowing- narrows to the right, left and centrally

Stop or Give way sign ahead This sign warns us of a stop or a give way sign ahead.
In the diagram, there are two roads. We are travelling
on the narrow one. This is showing that we are going
to join or cross a major road.

B. REGULATORY SIGNS

They have a red ring or circle around

They can also be called Mandatory Signs
They carry the force of law (regulatory effect)

e. g. Speed limit sign- travel at or below the stated speed

You travel at 80km per hour in the highway and at sixty in other branching roads

-Height Prohibition sign- Tunnels, when entering large firms and fly over

width prohibition sign bridges

-Mass Prohibition Sign- bridges, when entering large towns or cities

-Stop and give way sign-when crossing or joining a major road

At a give way sign slow down and give way to crossing traffic (traffic from both sides) and proceed if it
is clear.
At a stop sign, stop and give way to crossing traffic (traffic from both sides) and proceed when it is
clear.

C. INFORMATIVE SIGNS

They come in different shapes, sizes and color

They carry information
They do not carry the force of law

e.g. Direction signs

De-restriction sign- it cancels the previously imposed speed limit

Maximum speeds in Zimbabwe

-Light vehicles 120km
-Heavy and passenger vehicles 80km/h

Detour sign- slow down to follow the detour

One way sign- is colored in green

D. TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNALS

They have a regulatory effect

Sequence of a robot- G
A - A
R - R - R
- G - G
- A

Flashing Amber- abnormal

-At a flashing amber robot controlled intersection, (uncontrolled junction), you give way to the car on
your right

-At a flashing amber railway or level crossing all vehicles stop and proceed when it is safe to do so
-At a constant amber railway crossing heavy vehicles stop and light vehicles slow down check if it is safe
and proceed.

Question. What is the meaning of a red robot in conjunction with an illuminated green arrow?

Answer. All other traffic is stopped except traffic going in the direction of the arrow
E. CARRIAGEWAY MARKINGS
These are lines drawn on the surface of the road
They carry the force of law (regulatory effect)

White lines

-They mark the centre of the road…

Broken white line- overtaking is allowed

If the broken white line is to your side

you are allowed to overtake

Unbroken white line- overtaking is prohibited

If the solid white line is to your side

then overtaking is prohibited
 These lines are used where visibility is
poor like at a curve or on a steep
accent were you are not able to see a
vehicle on the other side. On the
diagram A has poor visibility of The
state of B hence the solid line is to A’s
side to prevent it from overtaking. But
when a reaches point ‘x’ it now has
clear vision of the state of B and can
make a decision, hence the broken line
is brought to A’s side. A can now
overtake. The same scenario affects B
too.

Yellow lines

Broken yellow line-marks the edge of the road

Unbroken yellow line- is a prohibition line

Q: When are you allowed to straddle or cross the broken yellow line?
A: In order to overtake a car turning right or when we intend to stop

In case of three lanes assume the lane you

intend to follow. When turning to the left take
the left lane, the right lane when turning right
and the centre lane if you intend to go straight
ahead. You have to take the lane you want
before you reach the continuous white lines.
 You are not allowed to change the lane when
you reach the continuous white.

In case of two lanes when you intend to go

straight ahead you assume the left lane.

SADC SIGNS
Class I: Regulatory Signs
Class II: Road Markings
Class III: Road Signs

CLASS 1(i)
• Command Signs-circle with blue background
• Prohibition Signs- red circle with white background
• Reservation Signs – blue rectangle
• Selective Restriction signs- red rectangle with white background
• Derestriction Signs- red X
Class 1 (ii)
• Warning Signs- road layout signs – red triangle with white background
- Direction of movement
- Symbolic signs -temporary has red triangle with yellow background
- Hazard marker signs- red chevron- red/white rectangle
Class I (iii)
• Guidance signs- location signs
- Direction sign symbols
- Freeway direction signs
- Tourism direction signs
- Tourism attraction symbols
- Diagramatic signs and symbols
Class I (iv)
• Information signs
Class II (i)
• Regulatory markings
Class II (ii)
• Warning markings
Class III (i)
• Hand signals
Class III (ii)
• Flag signals

Rules of the road

1. Give way to the car approaching from your right

2. Never turn right in front of oncoming traffic
3. Keep well left

1. Give way to the car approaching from your right

If there is a car on your right you stop and only proceed when it is clear. In the diagram car ‘a’ has a car
to its right, car ‘b’, so it stops. B goes first and then ‘a’ follows up. Never assume that a junction is a T or
Y junction if it has no signs accompanying it.

NB. We don’t name a junction if it is not controlled; we apply the rules of the road.
2. Never turn right in front of oncoming traffic
Oncoming traffic is traffic facing you. It is traffic travelling on the same road as you are but in a different
direction

Car A and B are oncoming cars because

they are travelling on the same road
but in different directions.

Car A is turning right and must

stop and B has to go first. Car A
is not allowed to turn right in
front of oncoming traffic

SCENARIOS

1)
Car A, Has a car on its right so it stops.
So has car B. Car C has no car on its
right so according to rule number 1 it
has the right of way, NB: as C passes in
 front of B it neutralizes the effect of B
on A so A can go at the same time as C.
B then goes last

2)

According to rule1, C is supposed to

go first. As it moves it take note of rule
2 which prohibits C to turn right in
front of A, an oncoming vehicle. N.B:
Car C was already in motion and will
stop at point x. A will go first, followed
by C and B will go last.

3. The sign that affects you is always to your left. In this case car D and B are the cars with signs
and A and C are not controlled
In case the junction is controlled,
To get the car that goes first, eliminate the
controlled cars(D and B). Apply the rules to
the un-controlled cars(A and C. this is so
because a controlled car can never go first
because it is limited by the sign.

To get the car that goes last, eliminate the

un-controlled cars (A and C,) apply the rules
to the controlled cars (D and B). This is because
an uncontrolled car will never go last since it
has priority over the controlled cars

TRAFFIC CIRCLE.

NB: You indicate your intention when going into the circle.

At a traffic Circle, give way to the car that is

already in circulation. Hence B has the right of
way. You can also filter into the circle as long
as you do not disrupt the flow of traffic in the
circle. C has to give way to B and A can filter in
from the top since it won’t disrupt with the
flow of B so A goes second and C goes last.
If there are two cars already in circulation they
both have right of way. In this case B and D
have the right of way