Warning Signs: Road Conditions, Curves, and Hazards Ahead
Warning signs alert, not command
Warning signs are usually yellow diamonds with black symbols. They tell you that a condition ahead may require a speed or path change. Typical messages include curves, intersections, signal ahead, stop ahead, yield ahead, lane merges, divided highway begins or ends, narrow bridge, low clearance, hill, slippery when wet, deer crossing, pedestrian crossing, and school bus stops.
Many warning signs carry a plaque. A distance plaque says how far ahead the condition is. An advisory speed plaque, such as 35 MPH under a curve sign, gives a speed judged comfortable for the curve. It is not the legal speed limit unless a separate regulatory speed sign says so. Chevron signs mark the direction of a sharp curve and are placed through the curve itself.
Traps: a yellow diamond does not create a legal speed limit or a stop requirement. A SIGNAL AHEAD sign does not mean the light is red; it means prepare to stop if needed. A slippery-when-wet sign warns of reduced traction, not a permanent closure. A deer-crossing sign is a warning, not a guarantee that deer appear only at that exact spot.
Worked example: You see a curve sign with a 35 MPH advisory plaque. The legal limit may still be 55. You should slow toward 35 because the curve is sharp, but you are not automatically violating the law at 40 if conditions are safe.
Rule of thumb: yellow means look ahead and adjust; it does not mean the action is required by statute.