School Zone and Pedestrian Signs
School zone and pedestrian signs protect people walking, bicycling, and boarding buses. Kansas practice questions test fluorescent yellow-green school signs, flashing school speed limits, crosswalk rules, crossing guards, and school bus stop arms. These signs often create time-specific duties, so read the plaques and signals.
Core rules
- School zone signs are often fluorescent yellow-green pentagons or rectangles. A posted school speed limit applies when flashing or during stated hours.
- School crossing signs warn of children crossing. A crossing guard's signal should be obeyed.
- Crosswalks may be marked or unmarked. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and exercise extra care near schools.
- School bus stop arms and flashing red lights mean stop. Kansas questions often test the stop-arm rule; stop unless a recognized divided-highway exception applies.
- Pedestrian signals and countdown timers control crossing at signalized intersections; a green light does not automatically mean pedestrians are clear.
Worked example
At 3:10 p.m., you approach a school zone with a flashing yellow light and a "20 MPH WHEN FLASHING" plaque. The normal limit is 35 mph. Because the light is flashing, slow to 20 mph before the sign and scan for children near parked cars. If a crossing guard steps into the roadway with a stop sign, stop even if the flashing limit has not yet changed.
Traps
A fluorescent yellow-green sign is not automatically a speed limit; read the plaque. A school zone limit may apply only when flashing, not all day. Do not pass a stopped school bus with its red lights on just because traffic is slow. Also, a marked crosswalk is not the only place pedestrians may legally cross.