Study guide
2.2 Warning Signs in the Ninth Schedule
Barbados Regulation Examination Exam
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1 Chapter 1: The Regulation Examination and the Licensing Path
1.1 The Regulation Examination: Facts, Booking and Study Plan 1.2 Learner's Permit Conditions and Supervision 1.3 Driving Test, Licence Classes, Renewal and Demerit Points
2 Chapter 2: Traffic Signs
2.1 Sign Shapes, Colours and Legal Force 2.2 Warning Signs in the Ninth Schedule 2.3 Regulatory Signs: Prohibitions and Mandatory Orders 2.4 Information Signs, Temporary Signs and Construction Zones
3 Chapter 3: Light Signals, Driver Signals and Police Directions
3.1 Traffic Light Signals 3.2 Driver Signals, the Horn and Police Directions
4 Chapter 4: Road Markings and Pedestrian Crossings
4.1 Road Markings and Lane Use 4.2 Pedestrian Crossings
5 Chapter 5: Road Position, Overtaking, Junctions and Roundabouts
5.1 Keeping Left, Being Overtaken and Overtaking 5.2 Junctions, Turning and Emerging 5.3 Roundabouts
6 Chapter 6: Speed Limits and Stopping Distances
6.1 Barbados Speed Limits 6.2 Following Distance and Stopping Distance
7 Chapter 7: Stopping, Parking and Lights
7.1 Stopping, Waiting and Parking Rules 7.2 Lighting-Up Times and Use of Lights
8 Chapter 8: Vehicle Condition, Loads and Occupant Safety
8.1 Vehicle Condition, Equipment, Loads and Towing 8.2 Seat Belts and Child Safety Seats
9 Chapter 9: Alcohol, Drugs, Distraction and Fitness to Drive
9.1 Alcohol, Drugs and the Breath-Test Law 9.2 Phones, Distractions, Fatigue and Fitness to Drive
10 Chapter 10: Sharing the Road
10.1 Pedestrians, Children and Processions 10.2 Cyclists and Motorcyclists 10.3 Animals, Animal-Drawn Vehicles and Slow Traffic 10.4 Emergency Vehicles, Buses and Public Service Vehicles
11 Chapter 11: Accidents, Insurance and Traffic Offences
11.1 Duties After an Accident 11.2 Insurance, Documents and Traffic Offences
12 Chapter 12: Defensive Driving and Emergencies
12.1 Defensive Driving and Hazard Perception 12.2 Rain, Night, Breakdowns and Emergencies
2.2 Warning Signs in the Ninth Schedule
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
A triangle with the point upward warns of a hazard ahead; it does not by itself order a particular action.
Junction warnings in the schedule include cross roads, T junction, staggered junction, roundabout and merging traffic.
Road-layout warnings include bend, double bend, frequent bends, road narrows (both sides or one side), dual carriageway ends and two-way traffic.
Other hazards in the schedule include children, pedestrian crossing ahead, traffic signals ahead, quayside or river bank, height limit and low-flying aircraft.
Text warnings in the schedule include 'REDUCE SPEED NOW' for drivers and 'PEDESTRIANS LOOK LEFT' for people crossing.
Last updated: October 2026
A warning sign tells you that a hazard is ahead and gives you time to deal with it. In Barbados, warning signs are triangles with the point upward and a red border , drawn in the Ninth Schedule to the Road Traffic Regulations, 1984. The schedule also contains a few rectangular text warnings.
A warning is not an order, but ignoring it can still make your driving careless or dangerous. The correct response is almost always the same routine: mirrors, then speed, then position . Check behind, slow down early and smoothly, and place the car where it is safest for the hazard.
Junction warnings
- Sign What is ahead What to do
- Cross roads A junction where roads cross yours Slow, look both ways, be ready for vehicles emerging
- T junction Your road ends at a junction Prepare to stop or give way and to turn left or right
- Side road A road joins from the left or right Watch for vehicles pulling out or turning
Staggered junction Side roads close together on opposite sides Expect traffic from both sides in a short distance
- Roundabout A roundabout ahead Choose your lane early and give way to traffic from the right
- Merging traffic Traffic joins from the side shown Adjust speed and allow vehicles to merge in turn
- Road-layout warnings
Bend and double bend : slow down before the bend, when the car is upright and straight, and keep well to the left. The double-bend arrow shows which way the road turns first.
Frequent bends : a series of bends, often on hilly roads. Keep your speed down for the whole stretch.
Road narrows (both sides) and road narrows one side : the carriageway gets narrower. Check mirrors and be ready to let oncoming traffic through.
Dual carriageway ends : the central reservation ends and you will soon meet oncoming traffic on the same carriageway. Finish any overtaking and move back into the left-hand lane.
Two-way traffic : after a one-way section, traffic will now come towards you.
Two-way traffic across a one-way carriageway : you are about to cross a road on which traffic flows in both directions.
Hazards from people, places and the sky
Children : a school, playground or place where children cross. Expect them to run out without looking.
Pedestrian crossing ahead : a crossing is beyond a bend or crest. Be ready to stop for pedestrians on it (see 4.2).
Traffic signals ahead : lights you may not yet be able to see. Be ready for red.
Quayside or river bank : the road runs beside unprotected water. Drive slowly, especially at night and in rain.
Height limit : low headroom ahead, such as a bridge. Know the height of your vehicle and load.
Low-flying aircraft or sudden aircraft noise : roads near an airfield, where a sudden jet can startle drivers and animals. Do not stop on the road to watch aircraft.
Other danger : a general hazard, usually with a plate below describing it, such as "Accident" or "Road liable to flooding."
Text warnings in the schedule
"REDUCE SPEED NOW" is a direct warning to slow down at once, usually before a hazard such as a sharp bend, a junction or a roundabout.
"PEDESTRIANS LOOK LEFT" is addressed to people on foot. Because Barbados traffic drives on the left, a pedestrian crossing a normal two-way road meets the nearest traffic from the right . Where traffic will come from the left , for example on a one-way street, the sign warns pedestrians to look left. As a driver, expect pedestrians there to misjudge where traffic is coming from.
Using warning signs well
React at the sign, not at the hazard. Signs are placed far enough ahead to let you slow down gently.
Do not overtake where a warning shows a bend, a junction, a crest, a crossing or narrowing. Regulation 31(6) bans overtaking at corners, at intersections and forks, and over the brow of a hill or a humpbacked bridge.
Look for the plate. Distances and descriptions under a triangle tell you when and what to expect.
Think about other road users. Children, cyclists, animals and pedestrians are often the reason a warning sign is there.
Common exam traps
"Triangle with the point upward" vs "inverted triangle." The upward triangle warns. The inverted triangle is GIVE WAY, or an advance warning of STOP when a "STOP" plate is attached.
"A warning sign is only advice." It is not an order, but driving too fast for the hazard it marks can still be careless driving under s.83 of the Act.
Speed after the hazard. A warning sign does not raise or lower the speed limit. The limit stays the same until a speed-limit sign changes it, but you should still drive below it if the hazard demands.