Road signs · Ontario G1 Prep

1.Reading signs by shape and colour

Traffic signs give you important information about the law, warn you about dangerous conditions and help you find your way. They use different symbols, colours and shapes for easy identification.
Regulatory signs give a direction that must be obeyed. They are usually rectangular or square with a white or black background and black, white or coloured letters.
A sign with a green circle means you may or must do the activity shown inside the ring. A red circle with a line through it means the activity shown is not allowed.
A stop sign is eight-sided and has a red background with white letters; it means you must come to a complete stop. A yield sign is a triangle with a white background and a red border: you must let traffic in the intersection or close to it go first.
Warning signs warn of dangerous or unusual conditions ahead such as a curve, turn, dip or sideroad. They are usually diamond-shaped with a yellow background and black letters or symbols.
A school zone sign is five-sided and has a fluorescent yellow/green background with black symbols. It warns that you are coming to a school zone: slow down, drive with extra caution and watch for children.
Temporary condition signs warn of unusual temporary conditions such as road work zones, diversions, detours, lane closures or traffic control people on the road. They are usually diamond-shaped with an orange background and black letters or symbols.
Information and direction signs tell you about distances and destinations. They are usually rectangular with a green background and white letters, and signs in other colours guide you to facilities, services and attractions.
A railway crossing sign is X-shaped with a white background and red outline. It warns that railway tracks cross the road: slow down, look both ways for trains and be prepared to stop.

Signs in this section

Official source: Signs ↗

2.Regulatory signs

Regulatory signs give a direction that must be obeyed. A conviction for failing to obey signs adds 2 demerit points; failing to obey a stop sign, traffic light or railway crossing signal adds 3.
Stop: come to a complete stop at the stop line if it is marked on the pavement. If there is no stop line, stop at the crosswalk; if there is no crosswalk, at the edge of the sidewalk; if there is no sidewalk, at the edge of the intersection. Wait until the way is clear before entering the intersection.
Yield: you must let traffic in the intersection or close to it go first. Stop if necessary and go only when the way is clear.
Where there are no posted speed limits, the maximum speed is 50 km/h in cities, towns and villages, and 80 km/h elsewhere. In a school zone the speed limit is lower during school hours: observe the speed limit shown when the yellow lights are flashing.
Prohibition signs tell you what is not allowed: do not enter this road, do not turn left at the intersection, do not drive through the intersection, do not turn to go in the opposite direction (U-turn), do not turn right when facing a red light at the intersection, and do not turn left during the times shown.
"Do not stop" means you may not stop your vehicle in that area, even for a moment. "Do not stand" means you may not stop except while loading or unloading passengers. "Do not park" means you may not stop except to load or unload passengers or merchandise. A parking sign shows where you may park during the times posted.
A one-way sign means traffic may travel in one direction only. "Keep to the right of the traffic island" tells you which side to pass. Lane-use signs above the road or on the pavement before an intersection tell drivers the direction they must travel from each lane.
A sign above the road or on the ground can mark a lane that is only for two-way left turns. Other reserved-lane signs mean lanes are only for specific types of vehicles, either all the time or during certain hours: buses, taxis, vehicles with three or more people and bicycles.
Only public vehicles such as buses, or passenger vehicles carrying a specified minimum number of passengers, may use an HOV lane. HOV lanes on provincial highways are reserved for vehicles carrying at least two people, buses, licensed taxis, green-plate vehicles, airport limousines, motorcycles, High-Occupancy Toll permit holders and emergency vehicles, and they are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lane is separated from the general lanes by a striped buffer zone, and it is illegal to cross those markings.
A bicycle route sign means the road is an official bicycle route: watch for cyclists and be prepared to share the road with them. Other regulatory signs mean no bicycles allowed on this road, no pedestrians allowed on this road, do not pass on this road, and slow traffic on multi-lane roads must keep right.
At a pedestrian crossover, be prepared to stop and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. Only when pedestrians and school crossing guards have crossed and are safely on the sidewalk can you proceed, and you must not pass any vehicle within 30 metres of a pedestrian crossover. A community safety zone marks an area where the community has identified a special risk to pedestrians; traffic related offences committed within the zone are subject to increased fines.

Official source: Signs ↗ · Keeping your drivers licence ↗ · Driving along ↗ · Freeway driving ↗ · Stopping ↗

3.Warning signs

Warning signs warn of dangerous or unusual conditions ahead such as a curve, turn, dip or sideroad. They are usually diamond-shaped with a yellow background and black letters or symbols.
Curve signs warn of a slight bend or curve, a sharp bend or turn, or a winding road ahead. A speed sign posted under a curve warning shows the maximum safe speed for the curve, and chevron (arrowhead) signs are posted in groups to guide drivers around sharp curves in the road.
Intersection warnings: an "intersection ahead" sign uses an arrow to show which direction of traffic has the right-of-way; other signs warn that a road branches off ahead, that drivers on the sideroad ahead do not have a clear view of traffic, that there are traffic lights ahead or a stop sign ahead. Slow down for both.
The merge sign means two roads going in the same direction are about to join into one, and drivers on both roads are equally responsible for seeing that traffic merges smoothly and safely. "Right lane ends ahead" means that if you are in the right-hand lane you must merge safely with traffic in the lane to the left.
"Divided highway begins" means traffic travels in both directions on separated roads ahead, each road carrying one-way traffic; keep to the right-hand road. "Divided highway ends" means traffic travels in both directions on the same road ahead; again, keep to the right-hand road.
Other warnings call for less speed: pavement is slippery when wet, a bump or uneven pavement ahead, a narrow bridge ahead, pavement narrows ahead, and the paved surface ends ahead. On a steep hill ahead you may need to use a lower gear, and an underpass sign shows how much room a tall vehicle has.
School crossing signs warn of a school crossing: watch for children and follow the directions of the crossing guard or school safety patroller. A pedestrian warning sign means watch for pedestrians and be prepared to share the road with them.
A "railway crossing ahead" sign tells you to be alert for trains and also shows the angle at which the tracks cross the road; the X-shaped sign stands at the crossing itself. If a train is coming, stop at least five metres from the nearest rail or gate and do not cross until you are sure the train or trains have passed.
A sign with a checkerboard border warns of danger at a sharp turn or bend in the road in the direction of the arrow: slow down and be careful. A hazard marker warns of a hazard close to the edge of the road, and its downward lines show the side on which you may safely pass.
Some warning signs tell you which road users to expect: deer regularly cross this road, a bicycle crossing ahead, and a truck entrance on the right (or left) side of the road ahead. The share the road sign warns motorists to provide safe space on the road for cyclists and other vehicles, and when passing a cyclist drivers must maintain a minimum distance of one metre where practical.
Roundabout ahead: reduce speed. The counter-clockwise arrows show the direction of vehicle traffic within the roundabout. Traffic in the roundabout has the right-of-way, so when preparing to enter pay special attention to the vehicles to your left.

Official source: Signs ↗ · Stopping ↗ · Sharing road other road users ↗ · Changing directions ↗

4.Temporary condition signs

Temporary condition signs warn of unusual temporary conditions such as road work zones, diversions, detours, lane closures or traffic control people on the road. They are usually diamond-shaped with an orange background and black letters or symbols.
Advance signs tell you that construction work is one kilometre ahead, that there is road work ahead, or that a survey crew is working on the road ahead.
When you are entering a construction zone, drive with extra caution and be prepared for a lower speed limit. Fines for speeding in a designated construction zone are doubled when there are workers present.
A "traffic control person ahead" sign means you must drive slowly and watch for instructions. It is an offence to disobey STOP or SLOW signs displayed by a traffic-control person or firefighter.
When the lane ahead is closed for roadwork, obey the speed limit and merge with traffic in the open lane. Where an arrow is shown, adjust your speed to merge with traffic in the lane the arrow indicates; flashing lights on the arrows show the direction to follow.
A detour sign marks a temporary detour from the normal traffic route: follow the detour marker until you return to the regular route.
Where the pavement has been milled or grooved, your vehicle's stopping ability may be affected, so obey the speed limit and drive with extra caution; motorcyclists may experience reduced traction on these surfaces.
Do not pass a pilot vehicle or pace vehicle bearing the sign that says so, and reduce speed and be prepared to stop where a temporary sign tells you to.

Signs in this section

Official source: Signs ↗ · Dealing particular situations ↗

5.Information and direction signs

Information and direction signs tell you about distances and destinations. They are usually rectangular with a green background and white letters, showing directions to nearby towns and cities and the distances in kilometres to towns and cities on the road.
Various exit signs are used on freeways. In urban areas many exit ramps have more than one lane, and overhead and ground-mounted signs help drivers choose the correct lane to exit or stay on the freeway. Advance signs use arrows to show which lanes lead off the freeway, and signs are also posted at the exit.
Freeway interchanges or exits have numbers that correspond to the distance from the beginning of the freeway, so distances can be calculated by subtracting one interchange number from another. The term "VIA" describes the roads that must be followed to reach a destination.
Signs with colours other than green guide you to facilities, services and attractions: off-road facilities such as hospitals, airports, universities or carpool lots, the route to a passenger railway station or to an airport, and facilities that are accessible by wheelchair.
Some signs change according to traffic conditions to give drivers current information on delays and lane closures ahead.
The "slow-moving vehicle" sign is an orange triangle with a red border. It alerts other drivers that the vehicle ahead will be travelling at 40 km/h or less; farm tractors, farm machinery and vehicles not capable of sustaining speeds over 40 km/h must display it on a road. Watch for these vehicles and reduce your speed as necessary.
EDR signs are used during the unscheduled closure of a provincial highway when the OPP detour all traffic off the highway. The EDR markers are located along alternative routes and provide direction to motorists around the closure and back onto the highway.
Watch for bilingual signs when driving in designated bilingual areas, and read the messages in the language you understand best. Bilingual messages may be together on the same sign or separate, with an English sign immediately followed by a French sign.

Signs in this section

Official source: Signs ↗