Your Street Sign Cheat Sheet

With over 500 different road signs on the streets today, it can be just a little bit confusing to know what every one means. Even if you passed your driving test with flying colors (no pun intended), chances are you still don’t know what every single sign means. Don’t worry; we have your back. Here is your street sign cheat sheet (all info taken from the Department of Transportation).

RED (octagon, upside-down triangle, rectangle): Just like with traffic signals, red usually means stop. Of course, the most famous sign of them all, the stop sign, is red, but other red signs include yield, do not enter, and yield.

YELLOW (usually diamond shaped): Yellow is always a cautionary color, just like how the yellow in the stoplight means to slow down and use caution, yellow signs are warning you that something is about to occur that you need to be aware of. Think merging traffic and limited height clearance warnings.

GREEN (rectangle): Yep, you guessed it, green means go. Green signs guide you along the road. They tell you which highway you are on and which lane you need to be in to get where you are going.

ORANGE (diamond or rectangle): You probably know this color all too well. It means that construction is going on and you are going to need to slow down and drive defensively.

BLACK and WHITE (rectangle): These signs are all about regulations. In other words, they will be your speed limits, mandatory directions in lanes (right turn only), and HOV lane warnings.

BROWN (square or rectangle): When you see brown, you know it’s time for some good old recreation. Brown signs alert you to state parks, camping sites, and other points of interest.

BLUE (square or rectangle): Blue signs are most often used when you are traveling, and they will alert you when there is food, gas, and lodging at the next exit, as well as direct you to the nearest hospital or rest area.

– Learn more by taking our defensive driving course.