2.1 Traffic Signals, Arrows & Pedestrian Signals
Key Takeaways
- On a vertical traffic signal the red light is always on top, yellow in the centre, green third, and a green arrow always at the bottom; on a horizontal signal red is always on the left.
- A signal with no working bulbs and no one directing traffic is treated as a four-way stop under N.J.S.A. 39:4-81 — look both ways, yield, and go only when safe.
- A flashing red light means stop, yield, and proceed when safe; a flashing yellow light means slow down and proceed with care.
- A police officer directing traffic overrules every traffic signal, and law enforcement directions must always be obeyed.
- A white steady pedestrian silhouette or countdown means pedestrians may cross, and New Jersey law requires turning motorists to yield to those pedestrians.
2.1 Traffic Signals, Arrows & Pedestrian Signals
Quick Answer: On a vertical signal head, red is always on top, yellow in the centre, green third, and a green arrow is always at the bottom. On a horizontal head, red is always on the left. A flashing red means stop, yield, then go; a flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with care. A signal with no bulbs working is treated as a four-way stop. A police officer overrules every signal.
Why Signal Order Matters
Traffic signals, signs, and road markings exist to control the flow of traffic and make streets safer for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The New Jersey Driver Manual makes one point about signals that candidates skip and then miss on the exam: the physical position of the lamps is fixed by law, which is what allows a colour-blind driver, or a driver approaching a sun-washed signal, to read the indication by position alone.
- Vertical signal head: red on top, yellow in the centre, green third in line, and any green arrow always at the bottom.
- Horizontal signal head: red always on the left.
Court penalties are imposed for stealing or damaging airport, traffic, or railroad-crossing signs and equipment — these devices are legally protected property.
Every Signal Indication and What It Requires
| Indication | Required action |
|---|---|
| Steady RED | Stop before the intersection or crosswalk and remain stopped until the light changes to green. |
| Steady YELLOW | Stop before entering the intersection or crosswalk unless you are so close you cannot stop safely. A yellow arrow means the signal is changing from green to red and gives you a chance to stop safely. |
| Steady GREEN | Proceed through the intersection. Yield to pedestrians and to vehicles still in the intersection, and yield to approaching vehicles before turning left. |
| GREEN ARROW | Shown alone or with a red signal, proceed only in the direction of the arrow. Be cautious and yield to pedestrians. |
| FLASHING YELLOW | Slow down and proceed with care. |
| FLASHING RED | Stop. Yield to traffic and pedestrians. Go only when safe. Flashing red lights at a railroad crossing mean a train is approaching — yield to the train and go only when the lights stop flashing and all other active warning devices deactivate. |
| UNLIT / DARK SIGNAL | If no bulbs are working and no one is directing traffic, treat the intersection as a four-way stop. Look left and right, yield to traffic from either side, and go only when safe (N.J.S.A. 39:4-81). |
A police officer beats the signal. During heavy traffic or an emergency, an officer may direct traffic and can overrule traffic signals. Law enforcement orders and directions must always be obeyed.
The "Stale Green" — A Habit Worth Building
The Driver Manual warns that most crashes at traffic signals happen in the first few seconds after the light changes. Two habits address this directly:
- On a fresh green, look before you go. Other vehicles may still be clearing the intersection, and a driver on the cross street may be running a late yellow.
- Watch for a stale green. A light that has been green for some time is about to turn yellow and then red. Cover the brake and be ready to stop rather than accelerating into the change.
A single solid white line across the road at an intersection marks where you must stop for a signal or sign. If no stop line is painted, stop before the crosswalk.
Pedestrian Signals
Pedestrian heads use symbols, not words, and each one carries a duty for drivers as well as walkers.
Orange, steady raised-palm symbol. Pedestrians must not leave the sidewalk or enter the roadway while facing this signal. Anyone already in the roadway should move quickly to a safe spot; pedestrians already within the crosswalk will have time to finish crossing before the signal changes.
White, steady pedestrian silhouette or countdown. Pedestrians facing this signal may cross in the direction of the signal. New Jersey law requires turning motorists to yield to pedestrians crossing on this signal and to pedestrians in the crosswalk — a right-turn-on-green or right-turn-on-red never outranks a walker with the signal.
Pedestrian push buttons are installed at certain signals. A short time after the button is pressed, the intersection's timing changes to give the side street a longer green.
Traffic engineers deliberately use fluorescent yellow-green — or standard yellow — for pedestrian crossing and bicycle warning signs, because those two categories of road user are the most vulnerable. When you see that colour, expect to share the road and to yield.
Exam Scenarios Worth Rehearsing
- You approach an intersection where the signal is completely dark after a storm and no officer is present. Treat it as a four-way stop. Do not assume your road has priority because it is wider or busier.
- You have a green light and want to turn left; oncoming traffic is heavy. The green does not grant you the turn. Yield to approaching vehicles and stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.
- You have a green arrow for a left turn and a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk. The arrow protects you from oncoming vehicles, not from pedestrians. Yield.
- A flashing red light hangs over your approach and a flashing yellow over the cross street. You stop; they slow. Never treat a flashing red as a yield.
Key Exam Traps & Common Misconceptions
- Trap 1: A dark signal is not a free pass. It is a four-way stop, not an uncontrolled intersection where the vehicle on the right simply wins.
- Trap 2: Flashing red ≠ flashing yellow. Flashing red requires a complete stop; flashing yellow only requires care.
- Trap 3: The green arrow's position. A green arrow is always at the bottom of a vertical head, never the top.
- Trap 4: Turning on a white walk signal. A steady white pedestrian silhouette obligates turning drivers to yield, even though the driver also has a green.
A traffic signal at a busy intersection has no working bulbs after a power failure, and no police officer is directing traffic. How must a motorist treat the intersection?
On a traffic signal head mounted vertically, where is a green arrow always located?
A pedestrian signal shows a steady white pedestrian silhouette while you have a green light and are turning right. What does New Jersey law require?
What does a flashing yellow traffic signal require a motorist to do?