Warning Signs
Warning Signs tell you that a hazard or a change in road conditions is ahead. Montana's test uses this domain to check whether you recognize the yellow diamond family, understand advisory speeds, and know how much advance warning to expect on rural high-speed roads. A warning sign does not give an order and does not grant the right-of-way; it tells you to adjust speed and position before you reach the hazard.
Core rules
- Most warning signs are yellow diamonds with black symbols. A yellow rectangle with black words is usually a warning plaque, such as NEXT 2 MILES.
- A yellow plaque showing a speed, such as 35 MPH under a curve sign, is an advisory speed. It is the speed judged safe for the curve in good conditions, not a legal maximum. Slow to it before the curve, not in it.
- Curve and turn signs show the direction of the bend. Reverse curve and winding road signs warn of more than one bend.
- Stop Ahead and Yield Ahead signs warn that a stop or yield sign is coming. Traffic Signal Ahead warns of a signal that may be hidden by a crest or curve.
- Montana-specific hazards include deer and other wildlife, open-range cattle, falling rocks, slippery when wet, narrow bridges, and steep grades. Watch for these especially at dawn, dusk, and night.
- Fluorescent yellow-green signs warn of pedestrians, bicycles, and school crossings; they are more visible than standard yellow.
Worked example
You are on a 65 mph rural highway and see a yellow diamond with a curve arrow and a 45 MPH plaque. Reasoning: the diamond warns of a curve ahead; the plaque advises 45 mph as the safe speed. Begin braking as soon as you see the sign, before the curve, and be prepared to go slower if the road is wet, icy, or gravel-covered. Do not wait for the curve to slow down, and do not treat 45 mph as a minimum.
Traps
Do not read yellow as 'stop' or as a legal speed limit. Do not ignore an advisory speed because it is not posted in white. Do not assume a warning sign means you have the right-of-way; cross traffic may not stop. Do not miss Stop Ahead or Signal Ahead because you are looking only for the stop sign or light itself.