Traffic Signs, Signals, and Road Markings
Reading signs by shape and color
Nebraska uses the national MUTCD system. Regulatory signs (white/black or red/white) tell you what you must or must not do-STOP, YIELD, speed limits, no-turn signs. Warning signs are yellow diamonds: curves, intersections, pedestrian crossings, deer. Orange means work zone; fluorescent yellow-green marks school/pedestrian/bicycle areas. Guide signs are green/blue/brown.
Signals and markings
- Steady red: stop, then you may turn right after yielding unless a sign prohibits it. Flashing red is a stop sign; flashing yellow means slow and proceed with caution.
- Solid yellow center line: no passing; dashed yellow means passing allowed when safe. White lines separate same-direction lanes; solid white edge lines mark the roadway edge.
- Two-way left-turn lane: used only for left turns, not for passing or travel.
- Painted arrows and stop bars are regulatory; treat them as commands, not suggestions.
Worked example
You approach a flashing yellow signal at a rural intersection, with a yellow diamond showing a curve ahead. Flashing yellow does not mean stop; it means slow, scan, and proceed only when clear. The diamond warns of a curve, so reduce speed before the curve, not in it. If the signal were flashing red, you would make a full stop first.
Traps
- Stopping at flashing yellow or rolling through flashing red.
- Missing a No Turn on Red plaque under a red light.
- Using a two-way left-turn lane as a travel lane.
- Reading a yellow warning diamond as a speed limit.