Warning signs (curves, intersections, school zones, pedestrian and bicycle crossings, road conditions)
Warning signs alert you to a change in the road or a hazard ahead. Delaware's exam tests whether you recognize the yellow diamond family, read advisory plaques correctly, and adjust speed and lane position before the hazard rather than at it.
Core rules
- Curves and turns: a curved arrow shows the direction of the bend. A yellow plaque such as "30 MPH" is an advisory speed for the curve, not a legal maximum. Slow down before the curve, not in it.
- Intersections: crossroad, side-road, T-intersection, and Y-intersection signs warn of traffic entering or crossing ahead. A "Signal Ahead" or "Stop Ahead" sign means a signal or stop sign is coming; it does not replace that device.
- School zones: the pentagon-shaped fluorescent yellow-green sign marks a school area. Delaware school zones commonly post a lower speed limit when children are present or when lights flash; obey the posted plaque.
- Pedestrian and bicycle crossings: fluorescent yellow-green diamond signs mark crossings and trails. Watch for people, not just the sign; yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
- Road conditions: "Slippery When Wet," "Ice," "Fog," "Bridge Freezes Before Road," and deer warnings call for reduced speed and increased following distance.
Worked example
You see a yellow diamond with a curve arrow and a "30 MPH" plaque. The road is wet. The plaque is advisory, so 30 mph is the speed judged safe in good conditions; in rain you should go slower. The sign does not change the legal speed limit, but ignoring it can still support a careless-driving charge if you lose control.
Traps that cost marks
A warning sign does not grant the right-of-way and does not create a stop requirement by itself. "Signal Ahead" is not a stop sign. The pentagon shape means school, not pedestrian crossing. Do not treat an advisory plaque as a regulatory speed limit, and do not wait until you are inside a curve to brake.
Key points
- Yellow diamond means warning.
- Advisory speed plaques are recommendations, not legal limits.
- Pentagon and fluorescent yellow-green mark school and pedestrian areas.
- Signal Ahead and Stop Ahead are advance warnings, not the device itself.
- Slow before the hazard, not at it.