Alaska Road Signs Practice key terms

A sign that gives a traffic law, rule, or requirement that drivers must obey, such as stopping, yielding, or staying within a speed limit. Violating one is a traffic offense.

A white rectangular regulatory sign with black lettering showing the maximum lawful speed in miles per hour on that road under normal conditions. Driving faster is a violation.

A red octagonal sign with white letters requiring a complete halt at the stop line or crosswalk, followed by yielding to traffic and pedestrians before proceeding. Rolling stops are illegal.

A red-and-white triangular sign meaning you must slow down and let cross traffic and pedestrians go first, stopping only if necessary to avoid conflict. You need not stop if the way is clear.

A square red sign with a white horizontal bar and the words DO NOT ENTER, marking a road, ramp, or lane that traffic may not use in your direction. Entering is dangerous and illegal.

A red rectangular sign reading WRONG WAY, posted to alert drivers they are traveling against the legal flow of traffic, typically on freeway ramps or one-way streets. You should stop and turn around.

A black-and-white rectangular sign with an arrow indicating that traffic on that road or lane moves only in the direction shown. Turning against the arrow is prohibited.

A yellow diamond-shaped sign that alerts drivers to an upcoming hazard or change in road conditions, such as a curve, hill, or intersection. It advises caution rather than stating a legal requirement.

A small yellow rectangular sign mounted below a warning sign showing a recommended safe speed for the hazard ahead, such as a sharp curve. It is guidance, not an enforceable limit.

A large yellow rectangular sign bearing a black arrowhead, placed on the outside of a sharp curve to show drivers the direction of the turn and help them judge the curve's sharpness.

A yellow diamond warning sign showing a plus-shaped symbol, indicating that another road crosses your route ahead. Drivers should watch for cross traffic and be ready to yield or stop.

A yellow diamond warning sign showing an arrow joining a through lane, telling drivers that an entering lane will combine with theirs ahead. Traffic already in the through lane generally has the right of way.

A yellow diamond warning sign showing a lane ending, alerting drivers that one lane will disappear ahead so they can change lanes early. It is often paired with a merge or lane-ends plaque.

A yellow diamond warning sign depicting a walking figure, placed where pedestrians commonly cross the road. Drivers should slow down and be prepared to stop for people on foot.

A yellow-green diamond sign marking an area near a school where children may be present. It is often combined with a reduced speed limit that applies during posted school hours.

A regulatory sign showing a lower speed limit that applies only during specified school hours or when children are present. Speeding in a school zone typically carries enhanced penalties.

A trained adult who directs traffic and pedestrians at a school crossing, often using a stop paddle. Drivers must obey the guard's signals as they would a traffic officer's directions.

A sign that gives directions, distances, destinations, or other navigational information, usually with a green, blue, or brown background. It helps drivers plan routes rather than imposing rules.

A sign that provides useful non-regulatory information such as services, rest areas, or recreation sites, commonly on blue or brown backgrounds. It does not impose a legal requirement on drivers.

A red, white, and blue shield-shaped sign identifying an Interstate highway number. Even-numbered routes generally run east-west and odd-numbered routes generally run north-south.

A blue guide sign listing nearby amenities such as gas, food, lodging, or hospitals, often with exit distances. It helps travelers locate services without leaving the highway to search.

A small green sign showing the distance in miles from a reference point along the highway. It helps drivers report their location in emergencies and estimate remaining travel distance.

An orange diamond or rectangular sign warning of road work, workers, or changed conditions ahead. Drivers should slow down, increase following distance, and watch for equipment and personnel.

An orange warning sign showing a worker holding a flag, indicating that a person ahead is controlling traffic. Drivers must slow down and follow the flagger's stop and proceed signals.

A regulatory sign, often orange or with an orange plaque, posting a reduced speed limit through a construction area. Fines for speeding in work zones are frequently doubled.

The use of cones, barrels, barricades, signs, and flaggers to manage traffic through a work zone. Drivers must obey these devices even though they differ from the permanent markings.

A cone, drum, or barricade used in work zones to guide vehicles into the correct path and separate them from workers or hazards. Drivers must not cross or strike these devices.

The system in which a sign's background color signals its purpose: red for prohibitions, yellow for warnings, orange for work zones, green for guidance, blue for services, and brown for recreation.

The convention in which a sign's shape conveys meaning: octagon means stop, triangle means yield, diamond means warning, pentagon means school zone, and round means railroad advance warning.

A round yellow sign with a black X and RR letters, placed before a railroad crossing to warn drivers to slow down, look, and listen. It appears ahead of the actual crossing.

A white X-shaped sign with the words RAILROAD CROSSING, posted at the crossing itself. It means yield to trains, which always have the right of way over road traffic.

Lines, arrows, and symbols painted on the road surface to separate lanes, mark edges, and guide traffic. They have the same authority as signs and should be obeyed.

A line marking the center of a two-way road, separating traffic moving in opposite directions. A solid yellow line means no passing; a broken yellow line permits passing when safe.

A painted line separating lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, or marking the right edge of the roadway. Dashed lines permit lane changes; solid lines discourage or prohibit them.

A solid white line painted across a lane at an intersection or crosswalk where vehicles must stop for a stop sign, signal, or pedestrian crossing. Stopping beyond it is a violation.

A marked path across a roadway for pedestrians, shown by parallel white lines or other patterns. Drivers must yield to pedestrians within it and stop before the stop line.

A light device controlling traffic flow with red, yellow, and green indications. Red means stop, green means proceed when clear, and a steady yellow warns that red is coming.

A traffic light that blinks rather than showing a steady color. A flashing red requires stopping and yielding before proceeding; a flashing yellow means slow down and use caution.