What shape and colour is the no passing zone sign?

A pennant, coloured yellow. Its official MUTCD code is W14-3.

This pennant-shaped sign appears on the LEFT side of the road. Why is it placed there rather than on the right?

It marks the start of a no-passing zone, and the left side is where a passing driver would be looking

Left-side signs always apply only to trucks

It warns oncoming traffic, not you

Signs are placed on the left whenever the road curves right

This sign appears on the LEFT side of the road. What does that placement tell you?

It marks the start of a zone where you may not pass

It applies only to oncoming traffic

It marks the end of a passing zone for the other direction

This sign is mounted on the left-hand side of a two-lane road. What does it mark?

The beginning of a stretch where you may not pass

The end of a stretch where passing was prohibited

A place where passing is allowed on the left only

A lane reserved for slow-moving vehicles

No Passing Zone Sign (W14-3)

The no passing zone sign is a pennant and its colour is yellow. It is a warning sign: something ahead — a curve, a crossing, a change in the road — needs you to slow down and adjust what you are doing.

At a glance

Shape	pennant
Color	yellow
Category	Warning signs
MUTCD code	W14-3
Legend	NO PASSING ZONE

Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

How the test asks about it

0 of 3 answeredScore: 0/3

1.
This pennant-shaped sign appears on the LEFT side of the road. Why is it placed there rather than on the right?
Not quiteCorrect answer: B — It marks the start of a no-passing zone, and the left side is where a passing driver would be looking
The pennant is the only warning sign mounted on the left. It marks the beginning of a no-passing zone and is placed where a driver who is about to pull out to pass will actually be looking.
Its position does not mean it applies to someone else — it applies to you, and it is a legal restriction, not just advice.
2.
This sign appears on the LEFT side of the road. What does that placement tell you?
Not quiteCorrect answer: A — It marks the start of a zone where you may not pass
The pennant is deliberately placed on the left, where a driver about to pull out to pass is already looking. It marks the beginning of the no-passing zone for your direction.
Signs on the left feel like they belong to the other side of the road. This one is on the left precisely because that is where your eyes go before passing.
3.
This sign is mounted on the left-hand side of a two-lane road. What does it mark?
Not quiteCorrect answer: D — The beginning of a stretch where you may not pass
The pennant shape carries one message only: the start of a no-passing zone. It sits on the left because that is where a driver thinking about pulling out to pass is already looking.
Relying only on the centre line. The pennant repeats the same restriction from the side you actually check before committing to a pass.

Related signs

See all signs

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