Road signs and traffic lights

Signs tell you the law, warn you about hazards, and help you find your way. Colour and shape are part of the message, not decoration.

Shapes you must know

• A stop sign is eight-sided, red, with white letters (ON-SIGN-002).
• A school zone sign is five-sided with a fluorescent yellow-green background and black symbols. Slow down and watch for children (ON-SIGN-003).
• A yield sign is a downward triangle with a white background and a red border. Let traffic in or near the intersection go first. Stop if you need to (ON-SIGN-004).
• A railway crossing sign is X-shaped, white, with a red outline. Slow down and look both ways for trains (ON-SIGN-005).

Source: Official MTO Driver's Handbook, Signs.

Colour codes

• A green circle means you may or must do the activity shown. A red circle with a line through it means the activity is not allowed (ON-RULE-076).
• Warning signs are usually diamond-shaped with a yellow background and black symbols (ON-RULE-077).
• Temporary condition signs are usually diamond-shaped with an orange background (ON-RULE-078).
• A slow-moving vehicle sign is an orange triangle with a red border. That vehicle travels at 40 km/h or less (ON-RULE-079, ON-SIGN-092).

Traffic lights

• Green: you may go straight, left, or right after yielding to traffic and pedestrians already in the intersection (ON-RULE-046).
• Yellow: red is about to appear. Stop if you can do so safely (ON-RULE-047).
• Red: come to a complete stop. Unless a sign forbids it, you may turn right after a full stop when the way is clear (ON-RULE-048).
• Left on red is allowed only from a one-way road onto a one-way road, after a full stop, when the way is clear (ON-RULE-049).
• Flashing red: stop, then go only when safe (ON-RULE-050).
• Flashing yellow: drive through with caution (ON-RULE-051).
• If lights are out, treat the intersection as an all-way stop (ON-RULE-052).

Source: Official MTO Driver's Handbook, Traffic lights.