Important Road Safety Signs and Their Meanings

Whether you are studying for your driver’s exam or you saw an unusual sign that you don’t remember, it is always good to familiarise yourself with the road safety sign. Recognising road safety signs and knowing their meanings can help drivers make safer and easier driving decisions.

Here are the most popular road safety signs and what they mean:

• Deer crossing signs. The deer crossing sign alerts drivers to areas where the deer population is active and might enter the roadway. Seeing large deer on the road is a very serious situation. Deer crossing signs can help these drivers pass through these areas more safely.
• Keep right signs. Drivers need to be made aware of any changes in the path of the roadway, especially when the road narrows, due to dividers or other obstructions. The keep right and keep left signs are regulatory traffic signs that help with the flow of cars when any obstacles are present.
• Men at work signs. The men at work road safety sign is a temporary warning sign that is used to alert the drivers of any upcoming road work. This sign is orange, since orange is one of the most visible colors to the human eye, and it can be noticed above other traffic signs on the road. When driving through work zones, it is super important for drivers to drive as safely as possible. Men at work signs are usually accompanied by other temporary warning signs, including detour signs and road work ahead signs.
• No bicycle signs. Bike riders are subject to many of the same traffic control signs that drivers are on the roadways. No bicycle signs keep bicycle traffic from entering a facility or a roadway. If these signs are used at a facility, they should be posted at the entrances. Other bicycle related traffic signs include bicycle warning signs and no parking bike lane signs.
• No U-turn signs. There are a few variations of the no U-turn sign. The no U-turn sign has a curved arrow with a U-turn and a bold prohibition symbol over it. The standard design helps express areas where drivers can’t change the direction of their vehicle into the opposite direction.
• Pedestrian crossing signs. There are a few versions of pedestrian crossing signs posted near intersections and crosswalks. They are used in a wide range of settings. For example, the pedestrian school area sign is posted in school zones. These signs use yellow-green fluorescent reflective sheeting that improves the visibility on the roads.
• Speed limit signs. Speed limit signs are traffic control signs that can vary in the limit depending on the specific state that you are driving through.
• Stop signs. Stop signs are the most iconic of all traffic signs. It’s the only red sign and the only octagonal sign. Stop signs alert drivers to intersections and other areas where traffic is traveling in crossing or opposite directions.
• Yield signs. Yield signs are similar to stop signs but used in less dangerous situations at passive cross streets and traffic circles.