Nebraska Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

Sign shapes carry meaning: octagon = STOP, inverted triangle = YIELD, pennant = No Passing Zone, diamond = warning, vertical rectangle = regulatory, horizontal rectangle = guide/information, round = railroad advance warning, crossbuck (X) = railroad crossing, pentagon = school zone/crossing.

Sign colors carry meaning: red = stop/prohibition, white = regulatory background, yellow = general warning, fluorescent yellow-green = school/pedestrian/bicycle warning, orange = construction and maintenance, green = guide/distance, blue = services and disabled parking, brown = recreation and cultural, fluorescent pink = incident management.

A STOP sign requires a full stop at the stop line, crosswalk, or before entering the intersection - whichever comes first - then yield to all cross traffic and pedestrians before proceeding.

At a YIELD sign, slow down and be prepared to stop; you must yield the right of way to vehicles on the intersecting road and to pedestrians, but a complete stop is required only when traffic demands it.

A No Passing Zone pennant is placed on the left side of the road at the start of a passing-restricted area; a solid yellow line on your side reinforces that passing is prohibited.

Railroad advance warning signs (round, yellow with black X and R R) appear in advance of the crossing; a crossbuck marks the crossing itself and, by law, means yield to trains - a train always has the right of way.

A school zone sign is a five-sided pentagon; when children are present or the posted beacon is flashing, the reduced school speed limit applies regardless of the time of day.

Orange diamond signs mark work zones; a flagger's STOP/SLOW paddle and temporary traffic controls carry the same legal force as permanent signs, and fines commonly double for speeding in a work zone with workers present.

Regulatory signs such as speed limit, one way, do not enter, and turn prohibitions are enforceable law; guide signs (green, blue, brown) give directions and information and do not themselves impose a legal requirement.

Steady red = stop before the stop line or crosswalk and remain stopped; after stopping you may turn right unless a sign prohibits it, yielding to pedestrians and cross traffic. A steady red left arrow means no left turn.

Steady yellow = the signal is about to turn red; stop if you can do so safely, otherwise proceed through with caution - it does not mean accelerate.

Steady green = proceed when the intersection is clear; you must still yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to vehicles lawfully in the intersection. A green arrow gives a protected turn in that direction.

Flashing red behaves like a STOP sign (stop, then yield); flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution. A dark or non-functioning signal is treated as an all-way stop.

A solid yellow center line on your side means no passing and no crossing except for a left turn into a driveway or side road; a broken yellow line on your side permits passing when safe.

Double solid yellow lines mean neither direction may cross; a solid white line marks the right edge or separates lanes where lane changes are discouraged, and a broken white line separates lanes traveling the same direction.

White crosswalk markings and stop lines define where vehicles must stop; a crosswalk exists legally even where unmarked at an intersection, and pedestrians in it have the right of way.

Painted arrows and only-markings designate mandatory turn lanes; entering a turn-only lane commits you to that turn, and a white diamond symbol marks an HOV or reserved lane.

At a flashing yellow arrow, left turns are permitted but unprotected - yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians; a flashing red arrow requires a stop before turning.

Nebraska's default rural interstate speed limit is 75 mph and many expressways are posted at 65–75 mph; always obey the posted limit, and drive at a speed reasonable for conditions even below the limit.

Nebraska's basic speed law and following-distance rule: maintain at least one car length for every 10 mph of speed as a minimum guide, and use the three-second rule - increase it in rain, snow, ice, darkness, or when following large trucks.

Right of way: the first vehicle to arrive at a four-way stop goes first; if two arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the right goes first, and a vehicle turning left yields to oncoming traffic going straight or turning right.

Nebraska's implied consent law: a driver arrested for DUI is deemed to consent to a chemical test; refusing a test results in license revocation (commonly one year for a first refusal) in addition to any DUI penalties.

Nebraska's Move Over law requires drivers to change lanes away from stopped emergency, tow, or maintenance vehicles with flashing lights when safe; if a lane change is not possible, slow down and proceed with caution.

Seat belts are required for front-seat occupants and for all passengers under 18 in Nebraska; children under 8 must be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster, and a rear-facing seat belongs in the back seat.

Texting while driving is prohibited for all drivers in Nebraska, and handheld phone use is restricted; novice drivers face stricter device restrictions under graduated licensing.

Headlights are required from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is limited (rain, fog, snow); use low beams in fog and when meeting oncoming traffic, and dim high beams within about 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle.

Passing is prohibited within 100 feet of a railroad crossing, bridge, or tunnel, at intersections, and wherever a solid yellow line is on your side; pass on the left, and never exceed the speed limit to complete a pass.

MUTCD shape and color conventions govern every sign a Nebraska driver encounters, so a driver can identify a sign's purpose before reading its text.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds; construction signs are orange diamonds; both alert the driver to a change ahead rather than impose a specific rule.

A red circle with a diagonal slash means the pictured action is prohibited (no U-turn, no left turn, no parking).

A white rectangular sign with black text is regulatory and enforceable, such as speed limit, keep right, or lane-use requirements.

A yellow diamond showing a pedestrian or a bicycle means watch for that user crossing or sharing the road ahead.

A red octagon with white letters is the only sign that always requires a complete stop, and it appears at every all-way stop intersection.

Signal hierarchy: a police officer directing traffic overrides all signals, and a flagger or temporary sign overrides a permanent signal during construction.

A green left arrow and a green circular light together mean the protected left turn ends when the arrow disappears; then yield to oncoming traffic before turning.

At a red light, a right turn on red is allowed after a full stop unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted; left turns on red are allowed only from a one-way street onto another one-way street.

Two-way left-turn lanes are marked by solid and broken yellow lines on both sides and may be used only for turning left, never for passing or travel.

Edge lines are solid white on the right and solid yellow on the left of a divided highway; they mark the outer limits of the roadway.

A stop line is a solid white bar across your lane; stop behind it, and if none exists, stop before the crosswalk or before entering the intersection.

Following distance: use the three-second rule at normal speeds and add one second for each adverse condition (rain, darkness, heavy traffic, or a large vehicle ahead).

At a four-way stop, the first to arrive proceeds first; ties go to the vehicle on the right; a left-turning vehicle yields to oncoming through traffic.

Move Over law: shift out of the lane adjacent to stopped emergency or maintenance vehicles with flashing lights, or slow down if a lane change is unsafe.

Implied consent: refusing a chemical test after a DUI arrest triggers license revocation in addition to any DUI penalties.

Child passengers under 8 must be secured in a child safety seat or booster; seat belts are required for front-seat occupants and all passengers under 18.

Headlights are required from sunset to sunrise and in limited visibility; dim high beams within about 500 feet of oncoming traffic and use low beams in fog.

Passing is prohibited within 100 feet of a railroad crossing, bridge, or tunnel, at intersections, and where a solid yellow line faces you.

Texting while driving is prohibited for all Nebraska drivers, and handheld device use is restricted, with stricter limits for novice drivers.

A flashing yellow arrow permits an unprotected left turn: you may turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, but you do not have the right of way.

A flashing red arrow requires a complete stop before turning, then yield to cross traffic and pedestrians.

A dark or failed signal is treated as an all-way stop: stop, then proceed in arrival order, with ties resolved by the vehicle on the right.

A solid yellow line on your side prohibits passing and crossing except for a left turn into a driveway or side road; a broken yellow line on your side permits passing when safe.

Double solid yellow lines prohibit crossing from either direction; a broken white line separates same-direction lanes, while a solid white line discourages lane changes.

Painted turn arrows and ONLY markings designate mandatory turn lanes; once in such a lane you must make that turn.

A white diamond symbol marks an HOV or reserved lane, and a white crosswalk with a stop line defines where vehicles must stop for pedestrians.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds; construction and maintenance signs are orange diamonds; both signal a change ahead rather than a specific rule.

Regulatory signs are white rectangles with black text (or red/white for prohibitions) and are enforceable law, such as speed limit, keep right, and lane-use signs.

A red circle with a diagonal slash means the pictured action is prohibited, such as no U-turn, no left turn, or no parking.

A yellow diamond showing a pedestrian or bicycle means watch for that user crossing or sharing the road ahead.

A red octagon with white letters is the only sign that always requires a complete stop, and it appears at every all-way stop intersection.

Guide signs are green (directions/distance), blue (services), or brown (recreation and culture) and do not themselves impose a legal requirement.

Following distance: use the three-second rule at normal speeds and add one second for each adverse condition (rain, darkness, heavy traffic, or a large vehicle ahead).

At a four-way stop, the first to arrive proceeds first; ties go to the vehicle on the right; a left-turning vehicle yields to oncoming through traffic.

Move Over law: shift out of the lane adjacent to stopped emergency or maintenance vehicles with flashing lights, or slow down if a lane change is unsafe.

Implied consent: refusing a chemical test after a DUI arrest triggers license revocation in addition to any DUI penalties.

Child passengers under 8 must be secured in a child safety seat or booster; seat belts are required for front-seat occupants and all passengers under 18.

Headlights are required from sunset to sunrise and in limited visibility; dim high beams within about 500 feet of oncoming traffic and use low beams in fog.

Passing is prohibited within 100 feet of a railroad crossing, bridge, or tunnel, at intersections, and where a solid yellow line faces you.

Texting while driving is prohibited for all Nebraska drivers, and handheld device use is restricted, with stricter limits for novice drivers.