Driving signs come in every shape, color and size you can think of. With so many different driving signs on the road, how can you keep track of what each one means? Thankfully, the shapes and colors can help so you never forget.
Driving Sign Colors
Colors are the easiest way for you to know what each sign is for and what it means. The most common colors in signs includes:
- – Brown: You will generally ONLY see brown signs around parks and recreational areas. But, they can also be found around points of interest in a specific location.
- – Red: Just like a stop sign, a red sign almost always means stop or prohibits a vehicle from going through the area. You may also find these signs in sections of the road where big trucks, such as tractor trailer trucks cannot go, and only cars can enter.
- – Black and White: Black and white driving signs are usually used for posted regulations in terms of what you can and cannot do on the road. The most common type of black and white sign are speed limit signs.
- – Orange: Generally, an orange sign is a warning sign that construction is either up ahead or occurring on the road right now, as you are driving. They are constructed to catch your attention and allow you to be more aware of what’s going on around you.
- – Yellow: A yellow driving sign informs you to be cautious and aware of your surroundings. These can relate to a change in the road terrain, curves, lane changes, or cautions about road conditions during certain types of weather.
- – Blue: Blue signs are almost always guidance points. You might see blue driving signs while on a turnpike letting you know there is a rest area 3 miles ahead, or gas and food at the next exit. These act as a way to assist and guide motorists who are driving and need specific types of information.
Driving Signs and Their Shapes
If you’ve been a driver for years you are already probably aware of what the shapes mean in terms of driving signs. But, if you are a new driver, you might not yet be aware of all these shapes. The easiest one is the octagon. Obviously these are used for stop signs. Other shapes include:
- – Round: More often than not when you see a railroad sign it will be a round shape. However, they can also be rectangular too.
- – Vertical Triangles: These shapes are guides for drivers on the road. For example, a bike lane only signs are made of vertical triangles. Other examples of vertical triangle signs include: Side Road Ahead, Y left or Y right intersection ahead, Gap in Median, Dangerous Dip, or Steep Ascent/Steep Descent signs.
- – Diamond: These primarily indicate roadway conditions. You might see Rough Road, Loose Gravel, Low Shoulder, Bridge Ices Before Road, Speed Hump, or even warnings such as a yellow diamond with a stop sign in red and an arrow letting you know there is an upcoming stop sign ahead.
For more information about driving signs call Zumar at our Arizona, California, or Washington location.
