Georgia DMV Permit Test: Traffic Signals and Pavement Markings Concepts
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Overview
This chapter covers traffic signals, lane control and pedestrian signals, and the lines painted on the road. Signals and markings appear on the Road Signs test along with signs, so learn what each light and line asks you to do.
A steady red light means stop and wait for green. A steady yellow light means the light is about to turn red, so slow down and prepare to stop. A green light lets you go only after you yield to pedestrians and vehicles still in the intersection. A flashing red light is treated like a STOP sign, a flashing yellow light means slow down and go with caution, and a flashing yellow arrow lets you turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic. If a signal is completely dark, treat the intersection as a stop in every direction.
Some signals control lanes or people walking. Over reversible lanes, a green arrow means you may use the lane, a steady yellow X means move out of it, a flashing yellow X means it is for left turns, and a red X means do not drive in it. A pedestrian hybrid beacon stays dark until someone presses the button, and its alternating flashing red lights mean stop, then go when the crosswalk is clear.
Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions, and white lines separate lanes going the same way. A broken yellow center line allows passing when safe, a solid yellow line on your side means you may not pass, and double solid white lines mean no lane changes. The center two-way turn lane is only for left turns, and you may enter it no more than 300 feet before your turn.
Key concepts
Flashing red and flashing yellow
A flashing red light means stop completely, then go when it is safe, as at a STOP sign. A flashing yellow light means slow down and go through with caution.
Memory tipFlashing red = STOP sign. Flashing yellow = caution.
Dark signal
If a traffic signal is not working at all, every driver must treat the intersection as if a stop sign were posted in every direction.
Memory tipNo lights at all: all-way stop.
Source: Georgia DDS Drivers' Manual (Traffic Signals and Signs) · as of 2026
Flashing yellow arrow
You may turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Oncoming traffic still has a green light.
Memory tipFlashing yellow arrow: turn only in a safe gap.
Lane control signals
Signals over each lane of a reversible lane system. Green arrow: travel in the lane. Steady yellow X: clear the lane. Flashing yellow X: left turn permitted. Red X: no travel in that lane in your direction.
Memory tipRed X over a lane: stay out of it.
Center lines
Yellow center lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions. A broken line allows passing when safe. A solid line on your side means you may not pass. Two solid yellow lines mean no passing in either direction.
Memory tipSolid line on your side: no passing for you.
Center two-way left turn lane
A center lane bordered by solid and broken yellow lines, used only for left turns by traffic from both directions. You may enter it no more than 300 feet before your turn.
Memory tipCenter turn lane: left turns only, within 300 feet.
Source: Georgia DDS Drivers' Manual (Pavement Markings) · as of 2026
White lines
White dashed lane lines separate lanes going the same direction, and you may cross them when safe. Double solid white lines mean lane changes are not allowed. A white stop line shows where to stop.
Memory tipWhite = same direction. Yellow = opposite direction.
See it in a picture
Often tested
- Flashing red: stop, then go when safe. Flashing yellow: slow down and use caution.
- A signal that is completely dark means stop in every direction.
- A flashing yellow arrow allows a left turn only after yielding.
- A red X over a lane means do not drive in that lane.
- A solid yellow line on your side of the center means you may not pass.
- The center two-way turn lane is only for left turns.
Easy to confuse: Yellow center lines on a two-lane road
| Center line | Passing from your lane |
|---|---|
| Single broken yellow line | Allowed when safe, in either direction |
| Broken line on your side, solid line on the other side | Allowed when safe |
| Solid line on your side, broken line on the other side | Not allowed |
| Two solid yellow lines | Not allowed in either direction |
3 sample questions
Verified practice questions from this unit.
Question 1. What should you do at a flashing red traffic light?
- ① Stop completely, then go when it is safe, as at a stop sign
- ② Slow down and go through with caution without stopping
- ③ Speed up to clear the intersection
- ④ Stop and wait until the light turns green
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Answer: ① Stop completely, then go when it is safe, as at a stop sign
Key point: Flashing red = treat it like a STOP sign
A flashing red light means the same as a STOP sign. Come to a complete stop, yield to pedestrians and other vehicles, and go when it is safe.
Wrong choices
- Slow down and go through with caution without stopping: Going through without stopping is what a flashing yellow light allows, not a flashing red one.
- Speed up to clear the intersection: Speeding up at any red light is dangerous and illegal.
- Stop and wait until the light turns green: A flashing red light does not turn green. You go after stopping and yielding.
Question 2. What does a flashing yellow traffic light mean?
- ① The light is about to turn green
- ② Stop completely, then go when it is safe
- ③ The intersection is closed
- ④ Slow down and go ahead with caution
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Answer: ④ Slow down and go ahead with caution
Key point: Flashing yellow = slow down and use caution
A flashing yellow light means slow down and use caution as you go through the intersection. You do not have to stop unless traffic or pedestrians require it.
Wrong choices
- The light is about to turn green: A flashing yellow light does not count down to green. It stays a caution signal.
- Stop completely, then go when it is safe: A full stop is what a flashing red light requires.
- The intersection is closed: A flashing yellow light does not close the intersection. You may go through carefully.
Question 3. You are driving the car marked YOU in the picture. What do the center lines tell you?
- ① You may pass when the way ahead is clear
- ② You may not pass from your lane here
- ③ The road ends ahead
- ④ Oncoming traffic may not pass, but you may
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Answer: ② You may not pass from your lane here
Key point: Solid yellow on your side = no passing for you
When a solid yellow line is on your side of the center, passing is not allowed from your lane. The broken line is on the other side, so oncoming drivers may pass when it is safe.
Wrong choices
- You may pass when the way ahead is clear: The solid line on your side means you may not pass, even if the road looks clear.
- The road ends ahead: Center lines show passing rules. They do not show where a road ends.
- Oncoming traffic may not pass, but you may: This is reversed. The broken line is on the oncoming side, so they may pass, not you.
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