Regulatory Signs
What regulatory signs do
Regulatory signs are legal commands. In New Hampshire they are usually white rectangles with black legends; red is reserved for prohibitions, stop, yield, and do-not-enter messages. The practice exam tests whether you treat them as rules, not suggestions.
Core rules
- Speed limits: A posted “SPEED LIMIT” sign is the maximum under normal conditions. Rain, snow, ice, or fog can make the safe speed lower. Minimum-speed signs set a floor on some limited-access highways.
- Stop and yield: Stop at the stop line, then the crosswalk, then the edge of the roadway. A yield sign requires slowing and yielding; stop only if traffic requires it.
- Lane use: “LEFT TURN ONLY,” “STRAIGHT OR RIGHT,” and arrow signs assign lanes. A two-way left-turn lane is for left turns from either direction, not travel.
- Turns: “NO TURN ON RED,” “NO LEFT TURN,” and “NO U-TURN” signs override general permissions. In New Hampshire, right on red is allowed after a full stop unless posted; left on red from a one-way to a one-way is also allowed after stopping unless prohibited.
- Parking and stopping: “NO PARKING” forbids leaving a vehicle; “NO STOPPING” forbids even brief stops; “NO STANDING” forbids waiting with the driver present.
Worked example
You approach a red light at an intersection with a “NO TURN ON RED” sign and a green right arrow for the cross street. You want to turn right. The sign forbids the turn on red, and the arrow is for the other street, so you must wait for a green signal for your direction. Reasoning: specific posted restrictions beat the general right-on-red rule.
Traps
Confusing “NO PARKING” with “NO STOPPING”; assuming right-on-red is always legal; ignoring an “ONLY” lane sign; treating an advisory plaque as a speed limit; and missing that a restriction applies only when flashing.