Arizona Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

Regulatory signs are white rectangles with black legends (or black rectangles with white legends such as ONE WAY); they state a legal requirement, and violating one is a traffic violation, not merely a caution.

Red-circle-with-slash means the maneuver or vehicle class shown is prohibited; a red circle alone with no slash means the action shown is mandatory or restricted to that class.

STOP requires a full stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or edge of the roadway before entering the intersection; a rolling stop is a violation even when no traffic is present.

YIELD requires slowing and giving right of way; stop only if necessary, but a YIELD sign paired with a stop line still requires a full stop when traffic is present.

Speed limit signs set the maximum lawful speed in ideal conditions; a separate MINIMUM speed sign sets the lowest lawful speed, and slower drivers must move right or leave the road.

Turning restrictions are shown by black arrows inside a red circle with a slash (no turn) or a black arrow alone in a white square (turn permitted only as shown).

Lane-use control signs such as left-turn-only, straight-only, or center-lane-only are regulatory; a driver in that lane must follow the arrow or make a lawful lane change before the intersection.

DO NOT ENTER and WRONG WAY are red-and-white regulatory signs marking one-way traffic flow; encountering one means stop immediately and back out only when safe.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black legends (fluorescent yellow-green for school, pedestrian, and bicycle warnings); they alert to a condition ahead and require speed or lane adjustment, not a legal command.

Distance plates below a warning sign give the distance to the hazard: 'NEXT X MILES' means the condition continues, while a plate with an arrow and distance means the hazard begins that far ahead.

Curve warnings: a yellow diamond with a single bend indicates a curve ahead; an advisory speed plate (yellow rectangle, black numerals) is the recommended maximum, not a legal limit.

Winding road (S-shaped arrow) warns of three or more curves; a single sharp curve sign warns of one pronounced change in alignment.

Hill and grade signs: a percentage plate on a steep-grade sign gives the downgrade; drivers should downshift before the descent rather than ride the brakes.

Intersection warnings include crossroad, side-road, T-intersection, and Y-intersection symbols; the symbol's shape shows which legs of the intersection exist.

Two-way traffic, lane-ends, and merge signs warn of changed lane geometry; the driver in the ending lane must yield and merge, adjusting speed to traffic already in the through lane.

Object markers: yellow-and-black diagonal stripes on a Type 3 barricade or obstruction marker indicate a hazard to pass on the side the stripes slope downward toward.

Guide signs are green with white legends for destinations, distances, and exits; blue signs mark services (gas, food, lodging, hospital); brown signs mark recreation and cultural areas.

Interstate route markers are the red-and-blue shield; U.S. routes use a white shield; state routes use a state-specific shape, often a white circle or square outline.

Exit numbering on interstates counts by milepost from the state line or southern/western origin, so exit numbers increase as you travel north or east.

Mile markers are small green signs placed at one-mile intervals; they are the primary reference for reporting a location in an emergency.

Interchange guide signs are placed in advance of the exit; the standard sequence is a distance sign, then an advance exit sign, then the exit-direction sign at the gore.

Blue service signs list amenities at an upcoming exit; a hospital 'H' symbol indicates emergency medical service, not a routine clinic.

Brown recreational signs identify parks, historic sites, and trails; a reduced speed or turn warning may accompany them at the access road.

A white-on-green arrow panel or 'EXIT ONLY' plaque on an overhead sign means that lane must exit; drivers continuing through must change lanes before the gore.

Work zone signs are orange with black legends; they are temporary and override the permanent signing they replace while the work is active.

The standard work zone sequence is advance warning, then the transition area (taper), then the activity area, then the termination area.

Channelizing devices include cones, drums, and tubular markers; drums are used where higher visibility and stability are needed, cones for short-duration or low-speed work.

Flagger signs (orange diamond with a flagger symbol) warn of a person controlling traffic ahead; a flagger's hand signals and STOP/SLOW paddle outrank any sign or signal.

A 'ROAD WORK AHEAD' sign followed by a distance plate indicates the work begins that far ahead; speed reductions in work zones are enforceable when posted.

Temporary rumble strips, arrow boards, and portable changeable message signs supplement orange signing; a flashing arrow board directs traffic to merge in the direction of the arrow.

End-of-work-zone signing ('END ROAD WORK') returns the roadway to permanent signing and speed limits; resume normal speed only after the termination sign.

Detour signs are typically orange or black-on-white with a 'DETOUR' legend and an arrow; follow the detour markers continuously rather than improvising an alternate route.

School signs are fluorescent yellow-green pentagons (school advance and school crossing); the pentagon shape is reserved for school zones and school crossings.

A school speed limit sign with a flashing beacon or time plate is enforceable only during the posted hours or when the beacon is flashing, depending on the installation.

A school crossing sign marks a crossing where children cross; drivers must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and may be required to stop for a crossing guard.

Pedestrian warning signs are yellow diamonds with a walking-person symbol; a diagonal arrow plate indicates the crossing is at that location rather than straight ahead.

Bicycle signs: a yellow diamond with a bicycle symbol warns of bicycle traffic; a green bike-lane sign or shared-lane marking (sharrow) indicates a designated bicycle facility.

In Arizona, drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and must not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk, because that vehicle may be yielding to a pedestrian.

A crossing guard's raised hand or stop paddle has the force of a stop sign; drivers must stop and remain stopped until all children have cleared the roadway.

Pedestrian signals: a walking-person symbol means proceed; a raised hand or countdown means do not start crossing, and a flashing hand means finish crossing without starting.

The round yellow railroad advance warning sign (RXR) means a highway-rail crossing is ahead; it is placed in advance and does not mark the crossing itself.

The crossbuck (white X with 'RAILROAD CROSSING' legend) marks the crossing and has the same meaning as a yield sign: yield to trains.

Flashing red lights at a crossing mean stop; a lowered gate means stop and remain stopped until the gate rises fully and the lights stop flashing.

Never drive around or under a lowered gate; gates are designed to descend before a train arrives and to rise only after it has cleared.

A train at speed can take more than a mile to stop; the train always has the right of way, and a vehicle must never stop on the tracks.

Light rail and trolley crossings use similar crossbucks and signals; quiet zones may remove routine horn sounding, so visual and signal warnings must be watched.

Pavement markings before a crossing include an X and the letters RR; a stop line before the tracks marks where to stop when required.

If a vehicle stalls on the tracks, occupants should exit immediately and move away from the tracks at an angle toward the approaching train, not along the track direction.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate traffic moving in the same direction or mark the right edge.

A broken yellow line permits passing when safe; a solid yellow line on your side prohibits passing; double solid yellow prohibits passing in both directions.

A broken white line separates same-direction lanes and may be crossed to change lanes; a solid white line discourages lane changes and an edge line marks the roadway boundary.

Sign color code: red = stop/prohibition, yellow = warning, orange = construction, green = guide/destination, blue = services, brown = recreation, white = regulatory, fluorescent yellow-green = school/pedestrian/bicycle.

Sign shape code: octagon = stop, inverted triangle = yield, diamond = warning, pentagon = school, round = railroad advance warning, crossbuck X = railroad crossing, rectangle = regulatory or guide.

Crosswalk markings are white transverse or parallel lines; a stop line is a solid white bar placed before the crosswalk and marks where a stop must be made.

HOV and special-use lanes are marked with a diamond symbol; entering or exiting an HOV lane across a solid double white line is prohibited.

Chevron and diagonal-stripe markings channel traffic away from obstacles; drivers must not drive across hatched areas bounded by solid lines.

Recognition sequence: identify shape first (octagon, triangle, diamond, pentagon, round), then color, then legend; shape and color narrow the meaning before the words are read.

Sign legibility distance is limited; a driver should scan far ahead and identify a sign early enough to change lanes or speed without a sudden maneuver.

When a sign requires a stop or yield, the correct response is to check mirrors, signal if turning, reduce speed smoothly, and stop at the marked line rather than at the sign post.

A warning sign calls for a speed or position adjustment before reaching the hazard; braking inside a curve is riskier than slowing before entry.

If a sign is obscured, contradictory, or unfamiliar, the safe default is to reduce speed, increase following distance, and follow the most restrictive applicable rule.

A missing or damaged sign does not remove the underlying rule; for example, a missing stop sign at a known intersection still requires yielding right of way.

Multiple signs on one post are read top to bottom; the top sign is generally the primary message and lower plates modify it (distance, times, exceptions).

When a flagger, police officer, or crossing guard directs traffic, that person's direction overrides posted signs and signals in the immediate situation.