29 September 2026

What do the shape and colour of a traffic sign mean?

A triangle warns, a round sign gives a rule, and a rectangle informs. Red bans, blue orders.

You do not have to memorise every sign as a separate picture. The shape already says a lot. A triangle with a red border is usually a warning. A round sign is a rule: red bans, blue orders. A square or a rectangle gives information.

Yellow often points to a temporary situation, such as roadworks. An octagon is STOP.

There are exceptions. Use the shape as a first guess, then check the sign itself.

Read about shape and colour