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Circles, triangles, rectangles

You learn the three kinds of sign: orders are circles, warnings are triangles and information is in rectangles.

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How to look in traffic

  1. Look at the shape first.
  2. A circle gives an order.
  3. A triangle warns, and a rectangle gives information.

A worked example

A red circle with a bicycle.

  1. Look at the shape first: a circle.
  2. A circle gives an order.
  3. Red says what you must not do, so this means no cycling.
More examples

A triangle with a red border and a roundabout in it.

  1. Look at the shape first: a triangle with the point up.
  2. A triangle warns you.
  3. The picture says a roundabout is ahead.

A blue rectangle with a white arrow.

  1. Look at the shape first: a rectangle.
  2. A rectangle gives information.
  3. The arrow shows a one-way street.

Try it yourself

This is best practised in the real exercise, where you click, drag or tap yourself.

Practise this

Watch out

  • You judge a sign by its picture and not its shape.

    Look at the shape first. Then read the picture.

Tips

  • Circles: orders. Triangles: warnings. Rectangles: information.
  • Blue circles say what you must do. Red circles say what you must not do.

Exceptions

  • The Give Way sign is a triangle that points down, and the Stop sign has eight sides. Both give orders.

Why it works

The shape tells you what a sign wants from you before you read the picture. A circle gives an order: it says what you must or must not do. A triangle with the point up warns you. A rectangle gives information.