Regulatory Signs: Speed Limits, Stop/Yield, Lane and Parking Controls
What this domain tests
Regulatory signs carry legal force. The Massachusetts Road Signs Practice exam checks whether you can identify them by color and shape, apply Massachusetts statutory speed limits, and obey stop, yield, lane-control, and parking rules without confusing them with warnings.
Core rules
- Most regulatory signs are white rectangles with black legends; STOP is a red octagon and YIELD is a red-and-white inverted triangle.
- Massachusetts statutory limits unless posted otherwise: 30 mph in a thickly settled or business district, 20 mph in a school zone, 40 mph on other roads, and 50 mph on divided highways.
- A STOP sign requires a full stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or edge of the intersecting road. A YIELD sign requires slowing and stopping only if traffic demands it.
- Lane-control signs and markings use white arrows and the word ONLY; turn restrictions use white signs with black and red symbols.
- Parking signs set time limits, permit zones, and no-parking areas; Massachusetts also restricts parking near hydrants and crosswalks.
Worked example
You see a white sign reading SPEED LIMIT 30 on a street with closely spaced houses and stores. The sign is regulatory, not a warning. Because the area is thickly settled, 30 mph matches the Massachusetts statutory limit and is enforceable. If the sign instead read 25, the posted 25 would control.
Traps that cost marks
Do not treat a yellow advisory-speed plaque as a legal speed limit. Do not roll through a STOP sign because the intersection looks clear. Do not assume YIELD means you never stop. Do not ignore a NO TURN ON RED sign because right on red is generally allowed after a full stop.