Traffic Signs
You can't memorise 180+ individual signs — but they follow a strict visual grammar. Learn the shape/color key and most signs decode themselves.
The master key — shape & color = category
| Shape / color | Category | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Red-border triangle, point up | Danger warning | Watch out ahead — reduce speed, be ready to brake |
| Red-border triangle, point down | Give way | Yield to all other traffic here |
| Red octagon | Stop | Full stop at the line, then give way |
| Red-border circle, white/light inside | Prohibition | You may NOT do X |
| Solid blue circle | Mandatory | You MUST do X |
| Same circle, grey diagonal strike | End of rule | Cancels the matching prohibition/mandate |
| Yellow diamond, white border | Priority road | You outrank joining side roads |
| Blue rectangle | Information | States a fact, no action required |
One trick that solves most danger-sign questions: whatever the specific hazard, the correct answer is almost always some mix of reduce speed / be ready to brake / increase attention — you rarely need a unique action per hazard.
Recurring numbers on signs
Level-crossing countdown markers (diagonal-striped posts before a railway crossing, outside built-up areas):
- 3 stripes = 240 m to the crossing
- 2 stripes = 160 m to the crossing
- 1 stripe = 80 m to the crossing
Standard advance-warning distance for danger signs outside towns: roughly 150–250 m before the hazard, unless a plate underneath gives an exact number.
30 km/h — traffic-calmed zone max. 60 km/h shows up twice with opposite meaning: as a maximum on a normal speed-limit circle, or as a minimum on the blue Kraftfahrstraße sign — the shape/color tells you which. 3 minutes — how long you may stop (not park) at a restricted-stopping sign. 15 m — clear zone before/after a bus/tram stop sign.
Key signs — priority, zones, mandates
Priority & junctions: Stop always requires a full stop even with a clear view; Give Way doesn't. At a roundabout, circulating traffic has priority — you give way entering, and must indicate when leaving, not entering.
Restricted zones: Pedestrian precinct = no motor vehicles at all. Cycle street = cars only with a "residents" plate, max 30 km/h, must not obstruct cyclists. Traffic-calmed area = walking pace only, pedestrians may use the full width, children may play anywhere.
Mandatory blue circles: e.g. "turn right only here" — you must indicate the turn even if it's the only option allowed.
Key signs — stopping, autobahn, info
Stopping/parking: plain crossed-out "P" circle = no stopping at all. Zigzag/dashed version = no long-term waiting, but brief stopping (loading, drop-off) is fine under the 3-minute rule. Always read the small plate underneath — often a distance or a day/time restriction.
Autobahn family: blue rectangle = autobahn start/end. Blue circle with a car = Kraftfahrstraße (implies a 60 km/h minimum where conditions allow). Tunnel entrance = switch to dipped headlights, even by day if the tunnel is lit.
Informational only: road number shields, cul-de-sac symbol, first-aid station — just facts, no "correct behaviour" attached beyond recognising them.
Ready to test yourself?
8 questions on this topic. Wrong answers get explained, and you can retry just the ones you missed.