Warning Signs: Curves, Intersections, Pedestrians, and Road Conditions
What this domain tests
Warning signs alert you to hazards ahead. The exam tests whether you recognize the yellow diamond family, the special school and pedestrian signs, and the difference between a warning and a legal requirement.
Core rules
- Warning signs are usually yellow diamonds with black legends; fluorescent yellow-green is used for school, pedestrian, and bicycle warnings.
- A school sign is a pentagon, not a diamond. Slow down and watch for children when it is displayed.
- Curve warnings show a bent arrow; a chevron sign marks the sharpness of the curve and is not a lane marker.
- Intersection warnings include crossroad, side-road, and T-intersection symbols. They tell you to look for traffic, not that you have the right of way.
- Road-condition warnings cover slippery pavement, hills, narrow bridges, deer, and pavement changes.
- An advisory speed plaque under a warning sign is a recommended safe speed, not a posted legal limit.
Worked example
A yellow diamond shows a right-curving arrow with a 25 MPH plaque beneath it. The diamond warns of a curve; the plaque advises 25 mph as a safe speed. If the white regulatory sign before it says SPEED LIMIT 40, the legal limit is still 40, but driving 40 into the curve may violate the basic speed law if conditions make it unsafe.
Traps that cost marks
Do not read a warning sign as permission to proceed without slowing. Do not call a pentagon school sign a diamond. Do not treat an advisory speed as enforceable in the same way as a white speed-limit sign. Do not confuse a chevron with a turn-only arrow.