At Least 25% of Drivers Don’t Know What These Common Road Signs Mean

Road signs that American drivers have trouble figuring out

Photo: myvision.org

While it’s worrisome that 16 percent of those surveyed couldn’t recognize a school zone sign, the fact that 27 percent of them can’t recognize an obvious road work sign or that 35 percent don’t know the sign indicating an upcoming road turn is plain scary.

Here’s a refresher on some of the most common aspects of road signs:

What does the color of a road sign mean?

The color of a road sign is the first indication of its importance. The Department of Transportation lists all road sign colors and the meaning behind them. Here’s the gist of the most important ones you need to know:

• Red: stop, yield, and prohibited areas
• Yellow: warning message
• Orange: temporary signage for warning and guidance in a work zone
• Pink: temporary signage used for accidents
• Green: direction and traffic movement
• Fluorescent yellow and green: school zones and pedestrian crossings
• White background: rules to follow

What does the shape of road signs mean?

Like the color, the shape of a road sign is significant and indicates the potential danger or rules to follow. Here are the ones you absolutely need to know before getting behind the wheel:

• Octagon: stop
• Inverted triangle: yield
• Diamond: warning
• Pentagon: school zone
• Round: railroad crossing
• Vertical rectangles or square: rules of the road