Being a responsible driver in 2025: Learning LTO traffic signs & symbols

It takes a few things to be a good driver including - staying alert, maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, obeying traffic rules, being courteous, keeping the car in good condition, avoiding distractions, and like. However, in the Philippines, the LTO has a specific set of rights, duties, and responsibilities for a driver.

General responsibilities of a driver Secure an appropriate driver’s license and carry it all the time while driving Must know & follow land transportation laws, rules, and regulations Be a defensive driver Make sure the vehicle is duly registered, roadworthy, and emission-compliant Regularly conduct proper motor vehicle pre-trip inspection Secure and safeguard the vehicle until returned to the designated location Know what to do and how to act in case of an accident or incident Keep the vehicle clean, tidy, and in good working condition at all times Know the rights and privileges as a holder of a driver’s license Must be healthy and free from any sort of contagious disease Always observe road safety, courtesy, and discipline Return ‘lost & found’ item

Along with this LTO imposes penalties and fines on drivers who violate traffic rules and regulations. We have covered it all in detail in our two-part series which you can check out here- Part I & Part II.

A crucial thing to understand to be a good driver and to escape from the fines and penalties are the LTO traffic signs and symbols. Plus, without this knowledge, the LTO won’t issue your driver’s license, you won’t pass the LTO exam, and you will be a risk on the road. Therefore, to help you and many new drivers out there, we have curated a guide of some of the most common road traffic signs and symbols.

Also Read: All you need to know about different license-related exams conducted by LTO

What are road traffic signs & symbols?

These are visual markings designed to guide drivers and pedestrians towards their destination. They either provide a warning, direction, or instruction and are usually found at the side of the street above the roads, or on the roads. Their design is simple, striking, and easy to understand. The official typeface for the signs looks like Clearview, while the design is standardized with some influences from America, the Vienna Convention, and Australia.

Importance of LTO traffic signs

• Safety of the driver & pedestrian
• Helps drivers and pedestrians find areas safe for driving walking, crossing, turning
• It is an essential pre-requisite for getting a driver’s license
• They serve as cues for mindful driving
• Facilitate better and safer traffic flow
  Warns about potential accident prone-areas

Also Read: The complete breakdown of LTO Fees: Registration, licensing, and penalties in the Philippines

LTO Traffic signs & symbols in the Philippines

In the Philippines, traffic signs and symbols are divided into eight categories, including -

Regulatory signs
Warning signs
Guide/Informative signs
Signs on Expressways
Traffic instruction signs
Hazard markers
Road works sign
Pavement markings

Each of these sign categories has its set of signs which we’ll be discussing in detail below -

Regulatory signs

Signs under this category offer drivers and pedestrians information on the Philippine's traffic laws. They direct and help manage the traffic flow while informing road users about traffic laws and regulations. Motorists are commonly obligated to these signs because if disregarded, it constitute an offense, leading to the imposition of penalties and sanctions.

Regulatory signs constitute six different types of signs (each with its sub-signs) namely - Priority, Direction, Prohibitive/Restrictive, Speed, Parking & Stopping, and Miscellaneous.

Priority Signs

Stop sign	Drivers are required to stop at a designated stop line Drivers are not allowed to park within 6 meters of the stop line
Give Way sign	Drivers are required to yield to the vehicle on the right side of the intersection
Left Turner Must Give Way sign	If turning left at an intersection, drivers can only have the right of way if they use the turn signal at least 30 meters before reaching the intersection If other cars are arriving or are very close to the intersection, yield, give allowance, or make a full stop and let them pass first

Direction signs

As the name suggests, direction signs only indicate the direction (s) that drivers are obligated to follow. Such signs usually feature white arrows on a blue circle in a black rectangle. Direction signs include the following twelve signs -

• Pass either side
• No turns
• Keep right
• One way
• Two-way traffic
• Keep left
• All traffic must turn right
• Merging traffic
• All traffic must turn right
• Right lane must turn right
• Salubong na trapiko
• Left lane must turn left

Prohibitive/Restrictive signs

Like the Direction signs, drives are obligated to follow Prohibitive/Restrictive signs. They tell the driver about the roads they are not allowed to enter. The signs under this category include -

As for appearance, they are easily identifiable thanks to the bold slash it bears.

• No entry for all vehicles
• No entry for jeepneys
• No entry for cars
• No entry for buses
• No entry for trucks
• No entry for bicycles
• No entry for tricycles
• No entry for motorcycles
• No entry for vehicles with trailer
• No entry for pushcarts
• No entry for animal-drawn vehicles
• No pedestrian crossing
• Use overpass (Pedestrians must use an overpass)
• Use Ped Xing (Pedestrians must use a pedestrian crossing)
• No left turn
• No right turn
• No U-turn
• No overtaking zone

Speed signs

As one can guess, speed signs suggest the minimum or maximum speed limit for drivers to drive in or out of a particular stretch of road. The signs under this category include -

• Maximum speed restriction
• Minimum speed restriction
• Speed limit derestriction
• End of maximum speed restriction

Parking & Stopping signs

These signs indicate to the driver whether or not he/she can stop the vehicle - with or without the driver, to park, load, or unload passengers for at least 3 minutes outside of congested traffic. In short, these signs indicate allowable parking and loading zones at a given time or place.

The following signs are included under this banner -

• Loading zone, xx:xx AM - xx:xx PM
• 2P Time restricted parking
• Loading & unloading ZONE
• No waiting anytime
• No waiting anytime (Bawal maghintay anumang oras)
• No loading & unloading zone
• No parking
• Do not block intersection
• No parking: Bawal Pumarada
• No parking: Two-away zone (parked vehicle will be towed)
• No stopping anytime
• Right turner cross at broken line
• No parking anytime from Monday to Friday
• No parking, public utility bus stop (Bus Stop Zone)
• No parking, public utility jeepney stop (PUJ Stop Zone)

Miscellaneous signs

There are a few more signs under the regulatory signs that rest under the Miscellaneous signs tag,

• No entry for vehicles with more than 2 meters of width
• No entry for vehicles with 3.5 meters in height
• No entry for vehicles with more than 10 meters in length
• No entry for vehicles with gross vehicle mass of more than 5 tons
• No entry for vehicles with gross axle load of more than 2 tons
• No blowing of horns
• Use seat belt sign
• Be aware of pedestrian crossing
• Be lane ahead
• Be aware of school children crossing
• Be aware of persons with disabilities crossing

Warning signs

The warning signs by LTO are designed to warn drivers and pedestrians about the hazards on the sidewalk and road. These signs inform the driver about the humps/hazards ahead, incoming road layout, flood, and landslide-prone areas. As for design language, these signs usually feature an upward triangle outlined in red or feature shapes in green or yellow color.

Overall, these signs serve as a precaution and remind drivers to be mindful of their surroundings. Warning signs include several subtypes including - Horizontal signs, Intersection signs, Advance warning/traffic control device signs, Road width signs, Road obstacle signs, Pedestrian signs, Railway level crossing signs, Supplementary signs, and other Warning signs.

Horizontal signs	Sharp turn (left) Sharp turn (right) Reverse turn (right) Reverse turn (left) Curve (right) Curve (left) Reverse curve (right) Reverse curve (left) Winding road (right) Winding road (left) Hairpin bend (right) Hairpin bend (left)
Intersection signs	Intersection ahead Stagged intersection (right) Stagged intersection (left) Skewed intersection (right) Skewed intersection (left) T-Junction ahead Y-Junction ahead Half Y-Junction (right) Half Y-Junction (left) Half Y-Junction Half Y-Junction behind (right) Half Y-Junction behind (left) Side road junction ahead (right) Side road junction ahead (left) Roundabout ahead Approach to intersection Approach to intersection side road (right) Approach to intersection side road (left) Approach to intersection merging traffic (right) Approach to intersection merging traffic (left)
Advance warning/traffic control device signs	Traffic lights ahead Stop sign ahead Give way sign ahead
Road width signs	Road narrows Road narrows ahead Narrow bridge Narrow bridge ahead Start of divided traffic End of divided traffic 2-way road ahead
Road obstacle signs	Opening bridge  Uneven road Hump Steep descent (right) Steep descent (left) Steep climb (right) Steep climb (left) Spill way sign Flood-porn area Falling debris (right) Falling debris (left) Slippery when ahead Slippery road  Animal crossing ahead Animal crossing ahead Low-flying zone
Pedestrian signs	Slow down, pedestrian crossing ahead Pedestrian crossing ahead Be aware and stop for children crossing ahead Be aware and stop for persons with disabilities ahead Advice to pedestrians to cross at designated areas Be aware and slow down on bike lane ahead
Railway level crossing signs	Railroad crossing vehicles must stop or give the right of way Railroad crossing advance warning (signaled) Railroad crossing advance warning (unsignaled) Alternative railway crossing position in an area that can be easily seen
Supplementary signs	Advisory speed Indicates the distance from the hazard When wet (usually combined with a slippery road warning sign) For blind personsSigns of PWDs Signs of senior citizens Signs of schools Signs of playground
Other warning signs	Vertical clearance - Maximum height of a vehicle must be 4.8 to 5.5 meters Maximum height of a vehicle must be 4.8 meters or less Other - Slow down, accident-prone area Bumagal madalas ang aksidente dito Merging traffic ahead Lane ends, merge left

 

Wait, this is not the end, there are a handful of more traffic signs and symbols to learn which we’ll be taking up in part two of this series. Till then stay tuned and try memorizing the above-mentioned LTO traffic signs.

Also Read: Step-by-step guide to checking LTO violations and penalties online