Do Not Enter Sign (R5-1)
The do not enter sign is a square and its colour is red. It is a regulatory sign: it states a traffic law you must obey. Ignoring it is a citation, not a judgement call.
At a glance
| Shape | square |
|---|---|
| Color | red |
| Category | Regulatory signs |
| MUTCD code | R5-1 |
| Legend | DO NOT ENTER |
How the test asks about it
- 1.
You see this sign at the entrance to a road. What does it mean?
Not quiteCorrect answer: C — You may not drive onto that road from this direction
DO NOT ENTER marks the exit end of a one-way road or ramp. Driving past it puts you head-on into oncoming traffic — one of the most dangerous mistakes a driver can make.
It is not a 'residents only' or time-limited restriction; entering is prohibited for everyone, always.
- 2.
You see this sign facing you at the entrance to a roadway. What does it mean?
Not quiteCorrect answer: D — Traffic on that roadway flows toward you and you must not enter
This sign faces the wrong-way approach to a one-way road or exit ramp. Entering puts you head-on into traffic.
It is sometimes read as "road closed". The road is open — just not in the direction you are pointing.
- 3.
Red is used on only a few US traffic signs, this one among them. What kind of message does red always carry?
Not quiteCorrect answer: D — Stop, yield, or something you are prohibited from doing
Red is held back for the strongest regulatory messages: STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, WRONG WAY, and the circle and slash used on prohibition signs. Because it is used so sparingly, red on a sign always means a rule rather than information.
Expecting red to mean danger, the way it does on machinery. On US road signs the hazard colour is yellow; red means a rule you must obey.
Related signs
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