Written by the LANEUP team
The short answer
- Zimbabwe uses the SADC road sign system. Every sign is in one of 4 families: regulatory, warning, roadworks and guidance.
- Red rings and blue circles are rules. Red ring: you must not. Blue circle: you must.
- Red-bordered triangles warn you of something ahead. A yellow face means roadworks.
- Green, blue or brown panels show the way.
Read the shape first
You do not need to memorise every sign one by one. The shape and colour tell you what kind of sign it is, even before you read the picture inside. On the provisional test, many sign questions are easier once you know the family.
Regulatory signs: rules you must obey
Regulatory signs tell you what you must or must not do. There are 5 groups:
- Control. A red octagon (stop), a downward triangle (give way) or a red arrow panel. Stop, give way, or go only the way shown.
- Prohibition. A red ring, usually with a slash. You must not do what the sign shows.
- Limits. A number in a red ring is a limit you must not go over. A black slash ends it.
- Command. A blue circle. Do what it shows.
- Reserved. A blue panel. It shows what a lane or bay is for, and who may use it.
Warning signs: something is ahead
Warning signs are red-bordered triangles. They tell you about a hazard ahead so you can slow down in time. The picture says what kind:
- Junctions. A road plan. Another road joins or crosses ahead, so slow down and look.
- Bends. A curving road. The road bends or changes ahead, so slow down before it.
- Control ahead. A light or sign. Traffic control is ahead, so be ready to stop.
- People and animals. Someone may step into the road, so be ready to stop.
- Road surface. A rough or slippery road. Slow down before you reach it.
- Size and slope. Check your vehicle fits, and change to a lower gear on a steep hill.
- Railways. A yellow cross, or a train or tram. Rails cross the road ahead, so slow down and look both ways.
- Other hazards. Slow down and read the symbol.
Roadworks signs: a hazard for now
Roadworks signs look like warning signs, with a red-bordered triangle, but the face is yellow instead of white. The hazard is there for now. Slow down and obey anyone directing traffic.
Tip: a yellow face always means the hazard is temporary. Expect the road to be different from usual.
Guidance signs: showing the way
Guidance signs are green, blue or brown panels. They show the way, or tell you what is ahead: directions, distances, services and places to visit.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between a red ring and a blue circle?
A red ring means you must not do what it shows. A blue circle means you must do what it shows.
Why is the give way sign upside down?
The downward triangle is used only for give way, so you can recognise the sign by its shape alone.
How many road signs do I need to know?
LANEUP's sign guide has 203 signs in 15 groups. You do not need to memorise them one by one: learn the 4 families and the 15 groups, and most signs explain themselves. Every sign, with its meaning, is on the road signs pages, group by group.
Sources: The SADC Road Traffic Signs Manual and the Zimbabwe Highway Code. LANEUP is independent and is not an official government app.
