Patente Quiz B
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Lesson and quiz, category B licence

Road markings and supplementary signs (Segnaletica orizzontale e segnali complementari)

On the exam this topic tests what lines, arrows and words painted on the road mean, the colours of parking bays, and supplementary markers such as delineators; this site has 22 true or false statements to practise on it.

The theory exam has 30 statements in 20 minutes and you pass with at most 3 mistakes. Source: Codice della Strada.

Skip to the quiz Study the rules

The real theory exam is in Italian, with French or German available on request. Lessons here keep the Italian terms in italics, and the quiz shows each statement in Italian with English help underneath. Switch to Italian only in the quiz to practise under exam conditions.

The rules

Question 1 of 1

Rule 1

Longitudinal lines: solid and broken

A solid longitudinal line may not be crossed or driven on, not even to pass a cyclist or reach a driveway on the other side. A broken line may be crossed, so it allows overtaking when visibility and traffic permit. When the dashes grow longer and the gaps shorter, the line is about to become solid. Where a solid line runs beside a broken one, each direction follows the line nearest to it: only drivers with the broken line on their side may overtake.

Example

The filling station you want is on the other side, beyond a solid line. You drive on to the first broken section or a roundabout and come back.

Legal reference: CdS art. 40, c. 8

Exam traps

  • «A broken centre line bans overtaking»: false, a broken line may be crossed.
  • «You may cross a solid line to pass a cyclist»: false, if there is no room without crossing it you wait.
  • «To reach a private property on the other side»: false in that case too.

Rule 2

Transverse lines and zebra crossings

The stop line at a stop sign is transverse and solid: you halt before it and do not cross it even when nothing is coming; if you cannot see from there, you then edge forward carefully without entering the junction. A zebra crossing is made of white bands parallel to the road's axis, laid side by side across the carriageway. You never stop on it, not even in queuing traffic, and a raised crossing does not remove the duty to give way to pedestrians.

Example

Queuing at lights, the car ahead moves forward and the only space left is on the zebra crossing. You wait before the crossing until there is room beyond it.

Legal reference: CdS art. 40, c. 11; CdS art. 191

Exam traps

  • «You may stop on the crossing when traffic is at a standstill»: false.
  • «A raised crossing removes the duty to give way to pedestrians»: false, the ramp only slows traffic.
  • The bands of a zebra crossing run parallel to the direction of traffic, not across it.

Rule 3

Hatched areas, islands and acceleration lanes

Hatched markings (zebrature), such as the triangular ones before a slip road, mark areas where you may neither drive nor park. A traffic island can be painted with hatching or built with raised kerbs: either way you go round it on the side shown. An acceleration lane is separated from the motorway carriageway by a broken line, precisely because you cross it to join once you have matched speed.

Example

Leaving a dual carriageway you notice the exit too late. You do not cut across the triangular hatching; you carry on to the next exit.

Legal reference: CdS art. 40

Exam traps

  • «The acceleration lane is separated by a solid line»: false, the line is broken.

Rule 4

Parking bay colours and yellow markings

Bays marked with white lines are free parking, neither reserved nor paid, unless other signs set limits. Bays with blue lines are paid parking. Bays with yellow lines are reserved for specific users, such as people with disabilities or service vehicles. Yellow is also used at roadworks: temporary yellow markings override the existing white ones and must be followed even where they contradict them.

Example

At motorway roadworks yellow lines shift the lanes to the left while the old white lines are still visible. You follow the yellow ones.

Legal reference: CdS art. 40; Reg. art. 149

Exam traps

  • «Yellow bays are free for everyone»: false, they are reserved.
  • «White bays are for residents»: false, white means free parking.

Rule 5

Arrows, words and conflicts with upright signs

Arrows painted in a lane show the directions you may take from that lane, and at the junction they bind you like an upright sign, so you pick your lane early. Words on the surface, such as stop, bus or taxi, repeat or announce a rule and must be obeyed. If road markings conflict with an upright sign, the upright sign prevails, because paint can be worn or left over from an older layout; yellow roadworks markings are the exception and prevail over white lines.

Example

You realise at the last moment that you are in the lane with only a left arrow while you wanted to go straight on. You turn left and change your route.

Legal reference: CdS art. 40

Exam traps

  • «Words on the road are for information only»: false, they carry the force of a rule.

Rule 6

Delineators and supplementary markers

Edge delineators are posts with reflectors: red reflectors mark the right hand edge and white ones the left, relative to your direction of travel. Bend delineators, panels with white chevrons on a black background (Reg. art. 174), make the line of the road readable at night and in fog.

Example

At night on an unlit state road the red reflectors run along on your right. They mark the edge of your side of the road.

Legal reference: CdS art. 42

Exam traps

  • «Red reflectors are on the left»: false, red on the right and white on the left.

Rule 7

What can go wrong

Three scenes show what misreading a painted line costs. First scene: on state road 36 along Lake Como a driver wants to turn into a restaurant on the other side. The centre line is solid, but he turns left across it. A motorcycle coming the other way out of a bend hits the side of his car. Beyond the damage, he is charged under art. 40 of the Codice della Strada, because a solid line may not be crossed for any reason, not even to reach a private access. The right move was to drive on to a place where turning round was safe. Second scene: at roadworks on the A1 motorway near Florence yellow lines shift the lanes. At night the driver follows the old white lines still visible and hits the concrete barriers of the works. Temporary yellow markings override the existing white ones, and the reduced roadworks speed limit had not been respected either. Third scene: in central Turin a driver in a queue stops on a zebra crossing because the light ahead has turned red. A woman with a pushchair has to step out between cars to cross, and a local police officer records the offence of stopping on the crossing. A zebra crossing is never occupied, not even in stationary traffic, because it blocks pedestrians. The shared lesson is simple. A solid line is a wall, a broken line is a permission to use with care, yellow roadworks paint beats white, and zebra crossings stay clear at all times.

Legal reference: CdS art. 40

CdS: Codice della Strada (d.lgs. 285/1992). Reg.: its implementing regulation (d.P.R. 495/1992). c.: comma, the numbered paragraph of an article.

Full text of the Codice: www.aci.it/i-servizi/normative/codice-della-strada.html

Trap words

False statements on the exam often repeat a true rule and change a single word. These are the Italian words to read carefully in this topic. They stay in Italian because that is how they appear on the exam.

Words that appear in every topic

sempre
always. An absolute: the statement is true only if there is no exception at all.
«Keeping to the limit sempre (always) guarantees a safe speed»: false, in fog or on ice you go slower.
solo, soltanto, esclusivamente
only. It rules out every other case, so a single exception makes the statement false.
«The children sign is placed soltanto (only) outside primary schools»: false, it also appears near parks and sports grounds.
mai, in nessun caso
never, in no case. The statement is true only if the behaviour is not allowed in any situation.
«A driver with priority may in nessun caso (never) give it up»: false, they may, as long as they make it clear.
ovvero
In the language of the Codice it means «or» and introduces an alternative. It does not mean «that is».
Emergency stop: the vehicle has broken down ovvero (or) the driver must stop because they feel unwell (art. 157). Two separate cases; either one is enough.
obbligatoriamente, è obbligatorio
compulsory. A duty: it is not enough for the behaviour to be allowed, it must be required.
«Overtaking on the left is obbligatorio (compulsory) even past a driver turning left»: false, in that case you pass on the right.
è consentito, è ammesso
allowed, permitted. A permission, not a duty. «È consentito» does not mean «è obbligatorio», and the reverse.
«It is consentito (allowed) to pass on the right a driver who has signalled a left turn»: true, and art. 148(7) actually requires it.
di norma, di regola
as a rule, normally. It states the general rule, which allows exceptions, so the statement does not claim to hold in every case.
«Outside built up areas warning signs are placed di norma (as a rule) 150 metres ahead»: true, and a panel gives any other distance.
anche
also, even. It stretches the rule to one more case; ask whether that added case really belongs.
«The no parking sign anche (also) bans stopping»: false, a brief stop is still allowed under a no parking sign.
automaticamente, di per sé
automatically, in itself. It suggests an effect that applies on its own, when the effect usually depends on a sign or a specific condition.
«In fog the motorway limit automaticamente (automatically) drops to 90 km/h»: false, the automatic cut applies to rain and snow.
qualsiasi, qualunque, in ogni caso
any, in every case. It generalises; look for the category or situation the rule leaves out.
«The safe distance is the same at qualunque (any) speed»: false, it grows with speed.
corsia
lane. The part of the carriageway wide enough for one line of vehicles (art. 3).
A two way carriageway (carreggiata) usually has two corsie (lanes), one for each direction.
carreggiata
carriageway. The part of the road for vehicles, made up of one or more lanes (art. 3). It does not include the verge or the pavement.
A speed limit applies to the whole carreggiata (carriageway), not only to the lane next to the sign.
banchina
verge, hard strip. The strip beside the carriageway and outside it, not meant for driving (art. 3).
Outside built up areas you park off the carriageway, for example on a suitable banchina (verge) (art. 157(3)).
fermata
stop. A brief halt to let people get in or out, with the driver present and ready to move off (art. 157).
Pulling in to drop off a passenger and leaving straight away is a fermata (stop), not a sosta (parking).
sosta
parking. A prolonged halt during which the driver may leave the vehicle (art. 157).
A divieto di sosta (no parking) does not ban stopping; a divieto di fermata (no stopping) bans parking too.
arresto
halt. An interruption caused by traffic, such as a red light or a queue. It is not the driver's choice (art. 157).
Stopping at a red light is an arresto (halt); no stopping ban prevents it.

Check yourself

Three statements on the topic. Answer and see straight away whether the rule has stuck. These answers are not saved.

Question 1 of 1

  1. La linea di arresto in corrispondenza di un segnale di stop può essere superata se non sopraggiungono veicoli.

    The stop line may be crossed without halting when no vehicle is approaching.

  2. Quando la segnaletica orizzontale è in contrasto con quella verticale prevale la segnaletica verticale.

    Where road markings conflict with vertical signs, the vertical signs prevail.

  3. La linea continua può essere oltrepassata per accedere a una proprietà privata situata sul lato opposto della strada.

    A solid line may be crossed to reach a private property on the far side of the road.

Topic quiz: 22 statements

Untimed. After each answer you see the solution, the explanation, the trap words highlighted and a link back to the rule. At the end you get your score and can retest just the ones you missed.

Question 1 of 1

  1. La striscia bianca longitudinale continua non può essere oltrepassata né calpestata.

    A continuous white longitudinal line may not be crossed or driven on.

  2. Le isole di traffico delimitate da zebrature sono zone in cui è vietato il transito dei veicoli.

    Chevron hatched areas mark zones where vehicles may not drive.

  3. Le strisce di delimitazione della sosta di colore giallo indicano stalli liberi per tutti i veicoli.

    Yellow parking bay markings show bays free for any vehicle.

  4. La linea di arresto in corrispondenza di un segnale di stop può essere superata se non sopraggiungono veicoli.

    The stop line may be crossed without halting when no vehicle is approaching.

  5. I delineatori di margine con catadiottri rossi sono posti sul lato sinistro della carreggiata.

    Edge markers with red reflectors are placed on the left hand side of the carriageway.

  6. Le strisce longitudinali discontinue con tratti lunghi e intervalli brevi annunciano l'avvicinarsi di una linea continua.

    Broken lines with long segments and short gaps announce an approaching continuous line.

  7. I segnali complementari come i delineatori speciali di curva servono a evidenziare l'andamento della strada.

    Complementary signs such as bend delineators highlight the alignment of the road.

  8. Le strisce pedonali possono essere occupate dai veicoli quando il traffico è fermo.

    Vehicles may stand on a zebra crossing while traffic is at a standstill.

  9. Dove una linea continua è affiancata a una discontinua, può oltrepassare le strisce soltanto chi ha la linea discontinua dal proprio lato.

    Where a solid line runs beside a broken one, only drivers with the broken line on their side may cross the lines.

  10. Le frecce direzionali dipinte in una corsia indicano le direzioni che si possono prendere da quella corsia.

    Direction arrows painted in a lane show which directions may be taken from that lane.

  11. Nei cantieri la segnaletica orizzontale gialla prevale su quella bianca preesistente.

    At roadworks yellow markings override the white markings already on the road.

  12. La linea di arresto in corrispondenza di un segnale di stop è una linea trasversale continua.

    The stop line at a stop sign is a solid transverse line.

  13. Le strisce di un attraversamento pedonale sono disegnate parallele all'asse della strada, cioè al senso di marcia dei veicoli.

    The stripes of a pedestrian crossing are drawn parallel to the axis of the road, that is to the direction vehicles travel.

  14. Quando la segnaletica orizzontale è in contrasto con quella verticale prevale la segnaletica verticale.

    Where road markings conflict with vertical signs, the vertical signs prevail.

  15. Le isole di traffico possono essere delimitate da zebrature dipinte oppure da cordoli in rilievo.

    Traffic islands may be bounded by painted hatching or by raised kerbs.

  16. La linea di mezzeria discontinua vieta il sorpasso.

    A broken centre line bans overtaking.

  17. Gli stalli di sosta delimitati da strisce bianche sono riservati ai residenti.

    Parking bays marked with white lines are reserved for residents.

  18. La linea continua può essere oltrepassata per accedere a una proprietà privata situata sul lato opposto della strada.

    A solid line may be crossed to reach a private property on the far side of the road.

  19. Le scritte dipinte sulla carreggiata, come STOP o BUS, hanno solo valore informativo.

    Words painted on the carriageway, such as STOP or BUS, are for information only.

  20. La linea di mezzeria continua può essere oltrepassata per superare un ciclista.

    A solid centre line may be crossed to pass a cyclist.

  21. La corsia di accelerazione è separata dalla carreggiata autostradale da una linea continua.

    The acceleration lane is separated from the motorway carriageway by a solid line.

  22. Un attraversamento pedonale rialzato esonera il conducente dall'obbligo di dare la precedenza ai pedoni.

    A raised pedestrian crossing frees the driver from the duty to give way to pedestrians.

What next

All exam topics

Educational content. For the official rules, see the Codice della Strada and legal notes.