Five Road Warning Signs You Should Know About

These traffic signs are bright yellow because it’s really important for you to see them. They’re comin’ at you with some info about the road conditions ahead. Check out the following street signs and make sure you know what they mean.

Look out for bridges and tunnels if you see these.

Obstacle Warning Sign

This stripe-y thing is here to warn you about obstacles on the roadway that could potentially cause problems for drivers. They could be marking rails on either side of the road, placed before narrow bridges, or anywhere else drivers need to be reminded where the edges of the street are. This is pretty helpful during the night on roads that are poorly lit.

Welcome to the Truck Zone.

Truck Warning Sign

Watch out, you’re in truck country now. This street sign wants you to be aware that large trucks tend to use the road that you’re traveling on. No big deal. Just remember to give these big guys plenty of space, stay out of their blind spots (which are really big and sometimes called No-Zones), and don’t cut them off. You know, the usual good driver behaviors.

Things are about to get cozy.

Road Narrows Sign

This sign lets you know (surprise, surprise) that the road you’re on is going to get narrower. You can continue driving on it, and there may not be a reduction in the number of lanes if it’s a multi-lane road, but the lanes are going to get a little smaller. Just stay focused, reduce your speed, and pay extra attention to maintaining a bubble of space around your vehicle. This may not be a good time for passing other cars.

Keep it together, because this road is falling apart.

Pavement Change Sign

Let’s be honest, this one is weird-looking. It doesn’t mean that you’re about the drive off the edge of the road and into a giant ball pit. That sounds exciting, but what this sign actually means is that the pavement surface is going to change. Specifically, it’s going to change from regular smooth asphalt to a rougher material, such as dirt, stones, or mulch. Rough roads like these can be harder to drive on, so you’ll want to slow down and proceed carefully to prevent losing tire traction.

A sign that you're livin' life on the edge.

Shoulder Drop-Off Sign

Be careful, or this road is gonna drop you off at Crashville. Okay, that was bad. But really, pay attention when you see a sign like the one above. It means there’s a drop-off from the edge of the pavement to the shoulder. If you need to pull over on the shoulder (emergencies only, please), do so slowly and carefully.