IMSA Signs & Markings II cheat sheet
IMSA Signs & Markings II · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Signs and Pavement Markings
Sign categories in the U.S. MUTCD system: regulatory (red/white or black/white, e.g., STOP, SPEED LIMIT, YIELD), warning (yellow diamond, black legend), guide (green or blue with white legend), and temporary traffic control (orange).
Warning sign color and shape: yellow diamond with black legend for most warnings; a yellow circular sign marks a railroad advance warning; a yellow pennant marks a No-Passing Zone advance warning; a yellow pentagon marks a school zone/school crossing.
Regulatory sign shapes: octagon = STOP, inverted triangle = YIELD, vertical rectangle = most other regulatory messages, circle = railroad advance warning (yellow), and the round yellow-black crossbuck marking at the crossing itself uses an X shape.
Guide sign color conventions: green for destination/distance/route guidance on conventional roads and freeways, blue for services (gas, food, lodging, hospital), brown for recreation and cultural interest, and white-on-green for Interstate shields.
Pavement marking colors: yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions or mark the left edge of divided highways; white lines separate traffic moving in the same direction or mark the right edge; blue marks accessible parking spaces; red marks fire lanes/no parking.
Broken (dashed) yellow line = passing permitted when safe; solid yellow line on your side = no passing; double solid yellow = no passing both directions; one solid + one broken = passing allowed only for traffic on the broken-line side.
Stop lines are solid white bars spanning the approach lane; crosswalks are marked with solid white transverse lines or a ladder pattern; yield lines are a row of solid white triangles pointing toward approaching traffic.
Sign retroreflectivity: signs must meet minimum maintained retroreflectivity (MUTCD Table 2A-3) or be managed under an assessment/management method; sheeting types are typically classified as engineer grade, high intensity, and diamond grade.
Temporary traffic control in work zones uses orange signs and orange/white channelizing devices; a flagger station uses an orange flag or paddle, and a STOP/SLOW paddle is a red octagon on a long handle.