STOP
Stop
Octagon · Red / white
Complete stop before the line, crosswalk, or intersection.
Wheels still. Yield. Go only when clear.
Field guide
Signs you will actually meet.
Shape first, color second, words last.
YIELD
Yield
Downward triangle · Red / white
Give way. Stop only if a conflict exists.
Slow, scan, take a gap — do not force one.
55
Speed limit
Rectangle · White / black
Maximum legal speed in ideal conditions.
At or below the number. Drop it for rain, fog, traffic.
✕
No turn
Circle on rectangle · Red slash
That movement is illegal here.
Do not make the marked turn.
→
One way
Rectangle · Black / white
Traffic travels only with the arrow.
Never enter against it.
DNE
Do not enter
Circle · Red / white
Wrong-way entry, often a ramp or one-way.
Do not pass this sign.
WW
Wrong way
Rectangle · Red / white
You are against traffic.
Stop if safe and get out of the stream.
P̸
No parking
Rectangle · Red / white
Standing or parking restricted.
Read the time plate. Towing is common.
⤷
Curve ahead
Diamond · Yellow / black
The road bends. Straight-line speed will not hold.
Brake before the curve. Look through it.
≋
Slippery when wet
Diamond · Yellow / black
Reduced traction in rain, worst in the first minutes.
Ease off. Follow at four seconds or more.
PED
Pedestrian crossing
Diamond · Yellow or yellow-green
People may cross here, including mid-block.
Cover the brake. Never pass a stopped car at a crosswalk.
SCH
School zone
Pentagon · Fluorescent yellow-green
Children nearby. Limits often drop on school clocks.
Watch guards, buses, and sudden movement.
●●●
Signal ahead
Diamond · Yellow / black
A light you may not see yet.
Lift off and be ready to stop.
╱
Merge
Diamond · Yellow / black
Two streams become one.
Match speed, signal, zipper merge.
DR
Deer crossing
Diamond · Yellow / black
Wildlife, especially dawn and dusk.
Scan both shoulders. One deer means more.
RR
Railroad crossing
Circle or crossbuck · Yellow / white
Tracks ahead. Trains cannot stop quickly.
Look both ways. Never go around gates.
╲
Steep hill
Diamond · Yellow / black
Grade will change your speed for you.
Downshift on long descents. Do not ride the brakes.
WZ
Workers ahead
Diamond · Orange / black
People in or near the roadway.
Obey reduced limits. Expect flaggers. Fines often double.
↷
Detour
Rectangle · Orange / black
The usual route is closed.
Follow numbered markers. Do not cut closed zones.
⊃
Lane ends
Diamond · Yellow / black
Your lane is disappearing.
Signal early and take a real gap.
H
Hospital
Rectangle · Blue / white
Medical facility nearby.
Watch for ambulances and sudden turns.
I
Interstate shield
Shield · Red / blue / white
Numbered interstate route.
Even numbers east-west. Odd numbers north-south.
→
Destination
Rectangle · Green / white
Places ahead and how far.
Pick the exit early, not at the gore.
‖
Double yellow
Line · Yellow
Two-way traffic. Solid means no passing.
Stay right. Pass only on a dashed yellow.
- -
Dashed white
Line · White
Same-direction lanes. Changes allowed when safe.
Signal, blind spot, then move.
|||
Crosswalk markings
Bars · White
Legal pedestrian path.
Yield to people in or entering it.