Warning Signs
Warning Signs
Warning signs alert you to a change in road conditions ahead. They are normally yellow diamonds with a black symbol or legend, and the exam tests whether you can identify the hazard and adjust speed and position before you reach it.
Core rules
- Warning signs are placed in advance of the condition; the distance depends on the road's speed, so the same curve sign may appear farther ahead on a faster road.
- A yellow diamond with a curve arrow warns of a bend; a reverse-curve arrow shows two bends in opposite directions.
- Plaques below the diamond add information: 35 MPH is an advisory speed, not the legal limit; NEXT 3 MILES gives the length of the condition.
- Common symbols include merge, lane ends, crossroad, pedestrian, deer, tractor, and slippery when wet.
- A yellow diamond with a traffic-signal symbol warns of a signal ahead that may be hidden by a hill or curve.
Worked example
You are on a 55 mph rural road and see a yellow diamond with a right-curve arrow and a 35 MPH advisory plaque. The legal speed limit is still 55, but 35 is the recommended speed for the curve. If you enter at 55 and lose control, you can be cited for driving too fast for conditions even though you were under the posted limit. The correct response is to slow to about 35 before the curve.
Traps
Do not confuse a yellow warning sign with an orange work-zone sign; orange means temporary construction. Do not read an advisory speed as a legal maximum, and do not wait until you are in the curve to brake - warning signs are placed early for a reason.