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Montana driving lesson · Signs, Signals & Markings

Warning signs

A 3-minute lesson from the Montana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Signs, Signals & Markings
Checkpoint questions
5
Source pages
35, 36

Warning signs alert you to conditions ahead that call for great caution — curves, crossings, narrow bridges, animals, slick pavement. When you see one, slow down and get ready to react.

Know the rule

Warning signs are black and yellow and usually diamond-shaped. The round “railroad crossing ahead” sign is the only round warning sign.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Railroad crossing ahead
Railroad crossing ahead — the only round warning sign

Road layout ahead

  • Crossroad: four-way intersection — watch for cross traffic
  • T intersection: you can't go straight; the road turns right and left
  • Side road: a road enters from the right (or at an angle)
  • Winding road: a series of turns or curves
  • Turn: road turns sharply left, then right
  • Curves: road curves right, then left
  • Curve sign with a speed plate: suggested safe speed for the curve
Handbook p. 35 ↗

Bridge and narrowing signs

Bridge and narrowing signs
SignMeaning
NARROW BRIDGENarrower than your road; room to meet and pass
NARROW BRIDGE (second version)May be too narrow to meet or pass a truck
ONE LANE BRIDGENo room to meet or pass another car or truck
ROAD NARROWSRoad gets narrower; still room to meet and pass
Handbook p. 35 ↗
One lane bridge
One lane bridge

Other advance warnings

  • STOP AHEAD: a stop sign is ahead — begin slowing
  • SCHOOL BUS STOP AHEAD: begin slowing
  • SCHOOL: slow down and watch for children at all times
  • LOOSE GRAVEL: road ahead is covered with loose gravel
  • ICY ROAD: road is icy and dangerous
  • RANGE CATTLE: no fences — cattle and horses may be on the road
Handbook p. 35 ↗

Crossings, grades and surfaces

  • SCHOOL CROSSING: children cross here — stop if pedestrians are waiting
  • PEDESTRIAN CROSSING: be alert, slow down and be prepared to stop
  • LOW CLEARANCE: don't go on if your vehicle is too tall to pass under
  • HILL: steep grade — check brakes; you may need a lower gear
  • DEER CROSSING: be alert; slow down if you see a deer
  • CATTLE CROSSING: stock is driven across the highway here
  • SLIPPERY WHEN WET: slow down, no hard braking or sudden turns, add following distance
Handbook p. 36 ↗

Know the rule

DIVIDED HIGHWAY BEGINS: a median splits the road into two one-way roadways. DIVIDED HIGHWAY ENDS: it becomes one roadway with two-way traffic. Keep to the right either way.

Handbook p. 36 ↗
Divided highway begins
Divided highway
Slippery when wet
Slippery when wet

Put it into practice

On a county road you pass a RANGE CATTLE sign. There are no fences here, so cattle or horses may be standing on the road — slow down, especially over hills and around curves.

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.

Most warning signs, such as a curve ahead, are what shape and color?
  1. Round, black and yellow
  2. Rectangular, black and white
  3. Octagonal, red and white
  4. Diamond, black and yellow

Answer: Diamond, black and yellow

Warning signs are typically diamond-shaped and black-and-yellow, warning of hazards ahead.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
Which warning sign is round instead of diamond-shaped?
  1. Railroad crossing ahead
  2. School crossing ahead
  3. Sharp curve ahead
  4. Winding road ahead

Answer: Railroad crossing ahead

The railroad crossing ahead sign is the only round warning sign; all others are typically diamond-shaped.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
A warning sign shows the highway ahead splitting into two one-way roadways. What should you do?
  1. Merge left immediately
  2. Prepare for two-way traffic
  3. Keep right as the divide begins
  4. Stop before the median starts

Answer: Keep right as the divide begins

When a median or divider splits the highway into two one-way roadways, keep to the right.

Handbook p. 36 ↗
A diamond-shaped, black-and-yellow sign warns of a hazard ahead. What category of sign is this?
  1. A warning sign
  2. A regulatory sign
  3. An information guide sign
  4. A construction-only sign

Answer: A warning sign

Warning signs are diamond-shaped and black-and-yellow, alerting drivers to hazards or changing conditions ahead.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
A yellow diamond sign reads ONE LANE BRIDGE. What does it mean?
  1. Narrower, but still room to meet and pass
  2. It may be too narrow to pass a truck
  3. No room to meet or pass another vehicle
  4. Trucks must cross one at a time

Answer: No room to meet or pass another vehicle

A ONE LANE BRIDGE sign means there isn't room on the bridge to meet or pass another car or truck.

Handbook p. 35 ↗
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