Traffic signs speak a special language: they warn you of conditions ahead, guide you to your destination, and tell you the rules. Many fatal crashes happen when a driver ignores a clearly visible sign. Learn each type's color and shape so you know its message at a glance.
Sign types by color
| Type | Colors | Tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory | Black or red on white | A rule you must obey |
| Stop | White on red | Stop completely and yield |
| Yield / Do Not Enter | Red and white | Yield / don't go this way |
| Warning | Black on yellow | Possible danger ahead |
| School (five-sided) | Black on yellow | School area or crosswalk |
| Guide | White on green | Destinations, routes, mileage |
| Construction & maintenance | Black on orange | Work in the road ahead |
| Service | White on blue | Gas, food, lodging, rest areas |
Know the rule
Regulatory signs give instructions you must understand and obey. State statute, regulation, or local ordinance backs them, and violating them can bring a traffic citation.
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Know the rule
At a STOP sign, make a complete stop before entering the intersection or at the stop line, behind the crosswalk. Look both right and left for traffic and pedestrians, and yield the right-of-way.
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Know the rule
At a YIELD sign, slow down, look both left and right, and yield to traffic and pedestrians. Stop when necessary to avoid a pedestrian or traffic on the protected street.
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Know the rule
Don't go past a DO NOT ENTER sign. It faces traffic entering a roadway or ramp the wrong way; a white-on-red WRONG WAY sign may be placed farther down.
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Know the rule
Warning signs alert you to actual or possible danger ahead. Use extra caution, and remember most warning signs mean you should slow down.
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Know the rule
Five-sided school signs warn of school areas and school crosswalks that require reduced speed. Prepare to stop for pedestrians.
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Know the rule
Guide signs give destinations, route guidance and place names; pay special attention to mileage information. Construction signs (black on orange) mean adjust your speed and prepare for special conditions.
Handbook p. 44 ↗Put it into practice
A black-on-yellow sign shows a snowmobile. It's a warning sign, so slow down and watch for snowmobiles crossing even if you don't see any yet.