Signal Ahead Sign (W3-3)
The signal ahead sign is a diamond 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 | diamond |
|---|---|
| Color | yellow |
| Category | Warning signs |
| MUTCD code | W3-3 |
How the test asks about it
- 1.
You see this sign as you approach a bend that hides the road beyond it. What does it tell you?
Not quiteCorrect answer: C — A signalized intersection is ahead and you should slow down ready to stop
This warning is posted where a signal cannot be seen far enough ahead — over a crest, round a curve, or on a fast road — so that you are already slowing before the red comes into view.
Because the symbol contains a red lens, drivers read the sign as reporting the signal's current state. It reports only that a signal exists ahead; the light itself may be any colour when you get there.
- 2.
This sign is posted just before a crest in the road. Why would an engineer place it there?
Not quiteCorrect answer: D — A traffic signal ahead cannot be seen in time from this approach
Signal Ahead is used where a hill, curve or trees hide the signal until a driver is too close to stop comfortably. The sign restores the warning distance the sight line took away, so cross the crest already prepared for red.
Assuming that not seeing a red light yet means there is time. On a blind approach the light may have been red for a while before it comes into view.
Related signs
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