School Zone and Pedestrian Signs
School and pedestrian signs protect people on foot, and the rules around them are strict. Fluorescent yellow-green pentagons mark school zones and school crossings; the color is brighter than standard yellow to draw attention. A school speed limit sign with a plaque such as "when flashing" or "during school hours" applies only under those conditions. When the condition is met, the reduced limit is a legal maximum, and passing a school bus with red lights flashing is prohibited in both directions on an undivided road unless separated by a physical median.
Pedestrian signals and markings matter too. A white walking-person symbol means walk; a raised hand means do not start crossing; a flashing hand means finish crossing if already started and do not begin. Countdown displays show seconds remaining. Crosswalks are marked with white lines or, at school crossings, often with yellow markings; a pedestrian in a crosswalk has the right of way, and drivers must yield. Stop lines and advance stop lines at school crossings place you behind the crosswalk, not on it.
Traps: treating a flashing school-zone sign as always in effect; assuming a flashing hand means sprint across; forgetting that a school bus with red lights flashing requires a stop on an undivided road; and stopping on top of a crosswalk instead of behind the line.
Worked example: you approach a school zone sign reading "20 mph when flashing." The lights are off at 4 p.m. and children are present. The 20 mph limit is not in force, but the default or posted limit applies and you must still yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and drive at a speed reasonable for children nearby.