Signs, Signals, and Markings

Color and shape are the message

You must recognize a sign even if it is dirty, damaged, or snow-covered. Red means stop or prohibited. Yellow is a general warning. Orange is construction. Fluorescent yellow-green is school, pedestrian, or bicycle emphasis. White and black are regulatory. Green is guidance. Blue is services. Brown is recreation or culture.

Octagon = stop. Downward triangle = yield. Diamond = warning. Vertical rectangle = regulatory. Pentagon = school. Round yellow = railroad advance. Pennant = no passing zone. Crossbuck = railroad crossing.

Regulatory signs

Black-and-white rectangles tell you what you must or must not do — speed limits, lane use, one-way, no U-turn, keep right, do not enter. Obey them like any other traffic law. A school-zone speed applies when the yellow light is flashing; watch for children and be ready to stop.

A center two-way left-turn lane is only for left turns. Do not pass in it. Do not enter a lane marked Do Not Enter or Wrong Way.

Warning, railroad, and work zones

Yellow diamonds warn of curves, merges, signals ahead, deer, pedestrians, steep hills, and stop signs ahead. Slow down and prepare to act.

A round yellow railroad sign means tracks ahead. Be ready to stop 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail. Flashing lights mean a train is coming — stay stopped until they stop and all tracks are clear. Never drive around a lowered gate.

Orange means a work zone. Speeding fines are doubled when workers or equipment are present. Obey flaggers — they have the force of a traffic control device. Failing to obey work-zone devices is a misdemeanor: $100–$1,000 and/or up to 30 days in jail.

RR stop distance

15–50 feet from the first rail

Work-zone speeding

Fines doubled when workers present

Slow-moving emblem

Vehicles 25 mph or slower

Signals and pavement markings

Steady red: stop. Right turn on red is allowed after a full stop unless a sign forbids it; yield first. Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red — stop if you can do so safely. Steady green: go if the way is clear. Flashing red: same as a stop sign. Flashing yellow: proceed with caution.

Yellow pavement lines separate opposite directions. White lines separate same-direction lanes and mark the right edge. A solid yellow line in your lane means do not pass. Broken yellow means passing is allowed when safe. Double solid yellow: no passing either way; you may cross only to turn left. A broken white line may be crossed when changing lanes.