Roadwise States Indiana Driving lessons Sign shapes Indiana driving lesson · Traffic Signs & Signals
Sign shapes A 2-minute lesson from the Indiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 2 minutes
Course unit Traffic Signs & Signals
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 33 Shape is your second clue. You can recognize it from far away, from behind, or when the sign is covered in snow. Indiana uses seven common sign shapes.
Circle: railroad crossing ahead Triangle: yield Pennant: no passing zone Rectangle: No Left Turn (regulation) Rectangle: destination guidance Diamond: warning of a hazard ahead Five-sided: school area Octagon: stop Know the rule
Pennant-shaped signs are posted on the left-hand side of two-way roads to warn you not to pass other vehicles on the left.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ Know the rule
A triangle warns you to slow down approaching an intersection and be ready to stop completely to yield to other drivers or pedestrians.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ Know the rule
Rectangles can show regulations (speed limits, No Left Turn), information (route markers, destination signs), or warnings such as a sharp curve's advisory speed, often posted with a diamond warning sign.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ Put it into practice
On a two-lane road you see a yellow pennant-shaped sign on the left side. Don't start a pass. It marks a no-passing zone.
A useful reminder Count the sides: 8 = stop, 5 = school, 3 = yield. Round = railroad.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What does an eight-sided (octagon) traffic sign mean? Yield Stop Railroad crossing ahead No passing zone Answer: Stop
Eight-sided signs tell drivers they must stop and yield the appropriate right of way at an intersection.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ What does an equilateral triangle traffic sign indicate? Passing on the left is not allowed A railroad crossing lies ahead Slow down and be prepared to yield You are entering a school zone Answer: Slow down and be prepared to yield
Triangle signs warn drivers to slow down and be prepared to yield to other traffic.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ What does a circular traffic sign alert drivers to? Slow down and be prepared to yield Passing on the left is not allowed Road conditions and hazards ahead A railroad crossing lies ahead Answer: A railroad crossing lies ahead
Circular traffic signs alert drivers to upcoming railroad crossings.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ What does a pennant-shaped sign posted on the left side of a two-way road indicate? Passing on the left is not allowed Slow down and be prepared to yield A railroad crossing lies ahead You are entering a school zone Answer: Passing on the left is not allowed
Pennant-shaped signs warn drivers not to pass other vehicles on the left.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ What does a five-sided traffic sign warn drivers about? Slow down and be prepared to yield You are entering a school zone Passing on the left is not allowed A railroad crossing lies ahead Answer: You are entering a school zone
Five-sided signs warn drivers they are entering an area near a school.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ What kind of information do diamond-shaped signs convey? Slow down and be prepared to yield Passing on the left is not allowed Road conditions and hazards ahead You are entering a school zone Answer: Road conditions and hazards ahead
Diamond-shaped signs warn of upcoming road conditions and hazards, like slippery roads.
Handbook p. 33 ↗ Previous lesson Sign colors Next lesson Warning, work zone, railroad & school signs More in Traffic Signs & Signals About the source Roadwise’s Indiana course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 33. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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