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Indiana driving lesson · Traffic Signs & Signals

Warning, work zone, railroad & school signs

A 3-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
3 minutes
Course unit
Traffic Signs & Signals
Checkpoint questions
5
Source pages
34, 35

Warning signs prepare you for road conditions and hazards ahead. Most are yellow diamonds. Work zone warnings are orange, and school signs may be fluorescent yellow-green.

Warning signs shown in Indiana's manual include:

  • Road layout: Intersection Ahead, 'T' Intersection, Side Road, Curve Ahead, Sharp Turn, Winding Road
  • Lanes: Added Lane, Lane Ends, Lanes Shifting, Merging Traffic, Divided Highway Begins, Two-Way Traffic
  • Surface: Slippery When Wet, Watch For Ice On Bridges, Low Shoulder, Steep Downgrade
  • Clearance and width: Low Clearance, Narrow Bridge, Object Markers
  • Control ahead: Stop Ahead, Yield Ahead, Traffic Signal, Prepare To Stop, Be Prepared To Stop, Slow Down
  • Road users: Pedestrian, Playground, Bicycle, Deer, Cattle, Buggy Warning, Farm Machinery, Golf Cart
  • Other: Fire Station
Handbook p. 34 ↗
Left lane ends
Lane Ends
Low clearance
Low Clearance
Horse-drawn vehicle
Buggy Warning

Know the rule

Orange construction signs warn you to be careful approaching construction zones. Some give guidance (Detour) or regulations (Worksite Added Penalties).

Handbook p. 35 ↗

Construction and maintenance signs:

  • Road Work Ahead
  • Work Crew Ahead
  • Flagger Ahead
  • Right Lane Closed
  • Detour and Detour Ahead
  • Worksite Speed Limit
  • Worksite Added Penalties
Handbook p. 35 ↗
Fines doubled in work zone
Worksite Added Penalties

Know the rule

Railroad signs alert you to an upcoming railroad crossing.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Railroad crossing ahead
Railroad crossing advance warning

Know the rule

Yellow or fluorescent yellow-green school zone signs (School Crossing, School Crossing Ahead, School Bus Stop Ahead) mean you're entering an area near a school where children may be crossing.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
School bus stop ahead (pictograph)
School Bus Stop Ahead

Know the rule

The slow-moving vehicle emblem is a triangle with a fluorescent orange center and red reflective borders.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
25 mph

Maximum speed of a vehicle displaying the slow-moving vehicle emblem

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Slow-moving vehicle emblem
Slow-moving vehicle emblem

Put it into practice

You pass an orange Worksite Added Penalties sign, then a Worksite Speed Limit 45 sign. Slow to 45 and stay alert for workers. You must obey the posted speed limit in a work site.

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 color scheme identifies a slow-moving vehicle emblem?
  1. A solid yellow diamond with a black border
  2. A white triangle with an orange border
  3. A red circle with a bright yellow reflective center
  4. Orange fluorescent center, red reflective border

Answer: Orange fluorescent center, red reflective border

The slow-moving vehicle emblem has an orange fluorescent center and red reflective borders.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
What is the maximum speed indicated by the slow-moving vehicle emblem?
  1. 25 mph
  2. 15 mph
  3. 35 mph
  4. 45 mph

Answer: 25 mph

The emblem indicates a slow-moving vehicle that cannot exceed 25 miles per hour.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Which color highway sign warns drivers to be careful when approaching a construction zone?
  1. Yellow
  2. Green
  3. Orange
  4. Blue

Answer: Orange

Orange highway construction signs warn drivers to be careful when approaching construction zones.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
What does a 'Flagger Ahead' sign warn drivers of?
  1. A worker directing work zone traffic
  2. A permanent speed limit reduction ahead
  3. A mandatory detour around the roadway
  4. A school crossing guard ahead

Answer: A worker directing work zone traffic

Flagger Ahead is a construction sign warning drivers that a flagger is controlling traffic ahead.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
The slow-moving vehicle emblem indicates a vehicle that cannot exceed 25 miles per hour.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

The emblem indicates a slow-moving vehicle limited to a maximum of 25 mph.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
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