Guam Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

Regulatory signs are white rectangles with black legends and are legally enforceable; a red circle with a diagonal slash means the action is prohibited.

STOP (R1-1) means a full stop at the stop line or before the crosswalk; a rolling stop is a violation even when the intersection is empty.

YIELD (R1-2) requires slowing and stopping only if traffic, pedestrians, or a safe gap require it; failure to yield right of way is cited under this sign.

Speed limit signs show the maximum lawful speed in mph under ideal conditions; driving faster than the posted limit is a violation regardless of traffic flow.

A black-on-white speed sign with a lower number on a yellow panel (R2-1 with advisory plaque) is not the legal limit unless the plaque is a regulatory speed zone sign.

DO NOT ENTER (R5-1) marks a one-way roadway against your direction; WRONG WAY (R5-1a) is placed further inside that roadway to warn a driver already going the wrong direction.

ONE WAY (R6-1/R6-2) arrows show lawful travel direction; a white arrow pointing left means all traffic moves left and no opposing traffic exists.

Turn and lane-use signs (R3 series) are mandatory: a left-turn-only arrow sign means through travel from that lane is a violation, not a suggestion.

NO PARKING, NO STANDING, and NO STOPPING differ: no parking allows loading passengers, no standing allows only momentary passenger pickup, no stopping allows none of these.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black legends; in Guam's tropical setting they are commonly used for curves, intersections, and road narrowing rather than ice or snow.

Yellow diamond means warning, not regulation: the sign advises of a hazard ahead and does not itself set a legal speed or prohibition.

A yellow diamond with a black arrow and a speed plaque (W1-1 series with advisory speed) gives the recommended speed through the curve, typically set at or below the safe design speed.

Winding road (W1-5) versus reverse curve (W1-3/W1-4): winding road shows a series of curves, reverse curve shows two curves in opposite directions.

Crossroad (W2-1), side road (W2-2), and T-intersection (W2-4) signs warn of an upcoming intersection where the driver must be prepared to yield or stop as otherwise posted.

Stop ahead (W3-1) and yield ahead (W3-2) warn that a stop or yield sign controls the intersection beyond the driver's current sight distance.

Lane ends (W4-2) and merge (W4-1) signs indicate a lane will terminate; drivers in the ending lane must adjust speed and position to merge safely.

Two-way traffic (W6-3) warns that a divided roadway becomes undivided or that opposing traffic will appear; passing rules revert to normal two-way rules.

Advisory plaques below warning signs (such as a 25 MPH plaque) are guidance for the hazard, while the black-on-white regulatory speed sign remains the enforceable limit.

Guide signs are green with white legends for destinations and distances; recreational and cultural interest signs are brown with white legends.

Interstate/freeway guide signs use green backgrounds; a white-on-green exit panel with an exit number identifies the exit and its mile or kilometer reference.

Blue signs indicate motorist services: fuel, food, lodging, hospital, and rest areas; a white H on blue marks a hospital.

Mile markers and reference markers are small green or white panels used to report location to emergency services; reading the nearest marker speeds response.

Route markers differ by class: Interstate shields are red, white, and blue; U.S. routes are white shields; Guam territorial routes are typically white squares with black numerals.

A white rectangular sign with black text giving a distance and destination (e.g., 'Hagåtña 5') is a guide sign and carries no regulatory force.

Brown recreational signs point to parks, beaches, and historic sites; they are informational and do not indicate services like fuel or medical care.

Changeable message signs display temporary information such as closures or Amber Alerts; their instructions can carry regulatory force when they display a speed limit or lane closure.

Orange is the color reserved for construction and maintenance zones; orange diamonds warn and orange rectangles regulate within the work area.

A black-on-orange rectangular sign (such as a reduced speed limit) is regulatory and enforceable in the work zone, unlike a yellow advisory plaque.

Channelizing devices include cones, drums, and tubular markers; they define the temporary path and must not be crossed where they separate opposing traffic.

Flagger ahead (W20-7) warns of a person controlling traffic; a flagger's signal overrides static signs and traffic signals in the work zone.

A red octagon held by a flagger means stop, and a yellow paddle means proceed slowly; the flagger's direction governs even against a green light.

Work zone speed limits are set by posted orange signs; fines may be enhanced for violations in posted work zones when workers are present.

Lane shift and lane closure signs use arrows and taper diagrams; the merge point is where the closed lane ends, and drivers should merge there rather than early or late.

Temporary traffic signals and portable stop signs in work zones have the same legal force as permanent ones.

School zone signs are fluorescent yellow-green pentagons (school advance, W1-1 series) or yellow-green plaques; they warn of children and school crossings.

A pentagon shape is used only for school advance and school crossing signs, making it identifiable from the back or at a distance.

School speed limit signs are regulatory when posted with black numerals on white; the limit applies during the times or when children are present as stated on the plaque.

A crossing guard's stop paddle has the same force as a stop sign; drivers must stop and remain stopped until the guard lowers the paddle and clears the crossing.

In a marked crosswalk with no signal, drivers must yield to pedestrians; a pedestrian in the roadway at any point in the crosswalk has right of way.

Pedestrian crossing signs (yellow-green diamonds with a walking figure) warn of a crossing ahead but do not create a crosswalk where none is marked.

School bus stop arm: when a school bus displays flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, traffic in both directions must stop on an undivided roadway.

On a divided highway, traffic approaching from the opposite direction of a stopped school bus is not required to stop when a physical median separates the directions.

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

A solid yellow line on your side means no passing; a broken yellow line on your side permits passing when safe; double solid yellow prohibits passing in both directions.

White edge lines mark the right edge of the roadway; a solid white line on the right of a lane marks the shoulder boundary and should not be crossed except in an emergency.

A solid white line between lanes discourages lane changes; a broken white line permits them when safe.

Red curbs and red markings mean no stopping, standing, or parking; yellow curbs allow short-term loading; blue markings designate disabled parking.

Sign shape carries meaning: octagon = stop only, inverted triangle = yield only, pentagon = school zone/crossing, circle = railroad advance warning, diamond = warning.

Sign color carries meaning: red = prohibition/stop/yield, yellow = warning, orange = work zone, green = guide/distance, blue = services, brown = recreation, white = regulation.

Crosswalk markings are white transverse or ladder bars; a stop line is a solid white bar placed before the crosswalk, and stopping is required behind it.

Painted arrows and only-markings in a lane are regulatory; being in a lane marked with a left-turn arrow obligates a left turn.

A round yellow sign with a black X and two R's (W10-1) is the railroad advance warning sign, placed in advance of the crossing; a white crossbuck marks the crossing itself.

Crossbuck signs (white X with 'RAILROAD CROSSING') have the same force as a yield sign: drivers must yield to trains and stop if a train is approaching.

Flashing red lights at a crossing require a stop; a lowered gate means stop and remain stopped until the gate is fully raised and the tracks are clear.

Never stop on the tracks; if traffic backs up beyond the crossing, wait before the stop line until there is room to clear the tracks completely.

A train cannot stop quickly; a freight train at 55 mph can require more than a mile to stop, so an approaching train's distance is not a reliable safety margin.

A yellow diamond with a black truck and a grade percentage warns of a steep downgrade; drivers should use a lower gear rather than continuous braking to avoid brake fade.

Emergency vehicle approaching with lights and siren: pull to the right edge and stop; on a divided road, vehicles traveling the opposite direction are not required to stop unless a median does not separate them.

A yellow diamond showing a divided highway ending (W6-1) warns that a median will end and opposing traffic will share the roadway ahead.