A 3-minute lesson from the New York course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Farm equipment, horse-drawn wagons, construction machines, snowmobiles and horseback riders share many New York roads. They move slowly or cross unexpectedly, so recognizing their symbols and rules helps you approach safely.
Slow-moving vehicle symbol
A reflective orange triangle displayed on the back of slow vehicles.
The slow-moving vehicle symbol must be displayed on vehicles drawn by animals, most farm vehicles and construction equipment. The U.S. Postal Service also requires it on all rural mail delivery vehicles.
State law lets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles cross many state highways and local roads. Before crossing they must stop and yield to traffic.
Horse riders are subject to, and protected by, the rules of the road. They must ride single file near the right curb or road edge, or on a usable right shoulder, lane or path.
Take care when approaching a horse being ridden or walked along a road: drive at an acceptable speed and keep an acceptable distance away. It is illegal to sound your horn when you approach or pass a horse.
On a rural road you come up behind a tractor with an orange triangle on the back and a rider on horseback just ahead of it. Slow down, don't honk, and pass both only when you can see it's safe and can give the horse plenty of room.
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 symbol marks slow-moving vehicles like farm equipment on the road?
A flashing blue light
A yellow diamond warning sign
A reflective orange triangle
A red octagon
Answer: A reflective orange triangle
The slow-moving vehicle symbol is a reflective orange triangle displayed on the back of the vehicle.