Georgia DMV Permit Test Warning, School, Railroad, and Work Zone Signs Summary

Diamond-shaped signs are warning signs. They are usually yellow with black words or symbols and tell you about a possible hazard ahead, such as a curve, a merge, or a narrow bridge.

Wrong choices

• A school crossing is ahead: School zones and crossings use a five-sided sign.
• You must stop at the next corner: A required stop is shown by the eight-sided STOP sign.
• A railroad crossing is ahead: The advance railroad crossing sign is round.

The five-sided (pentagon) sign marks a school zone or school crossing. It may be yellow or fluorescent yellow-green. Slow down and watch for children.

Wrong choices

• A no passing zone begins: The start of a no passing zone is marked by a sideways triangle (pennant).
• A railroad crossing is ahead: The railroad advance warning sign is round.
• A hospital zone begins: Hospitals are shown on blue service signs.

The round yellow sign is the railroad advance warning sign. It is posted a few hundred feet before the tracks. Slow down, look, listen, and be ready to stop for a train.

Wrong choices

• A roundabout is ahead: A roundabout ahead is shown on a yellow diamond with circling arrows.
• A rest area is ahead: Rest areas are shown on blue or green guide signs.
• Road repair work is ahead: Road work is marked with orange signs.

Orange signs with black letters or symbols are used in work zones for construction and maintenance. Slow down, watch for workers, and follow every sign and flagger.

Wrong choices

• A school zone: School zones use a five-sided yellow or yellow-green sign.
• A hospital nearby: Hospitals are shown on blue service signs.
• A scenic area: Scenic and recreation areas use brown signs.

This yellow diamond shows a T shape. It warns that the road you are on ends at a crossing road ahead. Slow down and be ready to yield or stop before turning right or left.

Wrong choices

• A hospital is nearby: Hospitals are shown on blue service signs.
• Another road crosses your road ahead: A crossroad ahead is shown by a plus-shaped symbol, where the road keeps going.
• A divided highway begins ahead: A divided highway sign shows the road splitting around a median.

This is the merge sign. A second lane curves in from the right and joins the main road. Watch for vehicles merging and adjust your speed or lane so they can enter safely.

Wrong choices

• A side road crosses at an angle: A side road sign shows a road meeting yours, not a lane flowing into it.
• Two-way traffic is ahead: Two-way traffic is shown by two arrows pointing in opposite directions.
• Your lane ends on the left: A lane-ending sign shows one lane narrowing into another. This sign shows a lane joining the main road.

The car with wavy (skid) tire marks is the slippery when wet sign. When the road is wet, slow down, leave more space, and avoid sudden braking or turns.

Wrong choices

• Watch for drunk drivers: This sign warns about the road surface, not about other drivers.
• The road is winding ahead: A winding road sign shows a snake-like arrow, not a car.
• A car wash is ahead: Car washes are not marked with warning signs.

The arrow bends smoothly to the right, so the sign warns of a curve to the right. Slow down before the curve. A sharp right-angle turn would be shown by an arrow that bends at a square corner.

Wrong choices

• There is a right-angle (sharp) turn to the right ahead: A sharp turn sign shows an arrow with a square (90-degree) bend. This arrow bends gently.
• Keep to the right of a median ahead: Keeping right of a median is a white regulatory sign, not a yellow warning.
• You must turn right at the next street: Warning signs do not order you to turn. This one warns that the road itself curves.

The crossbuck marks the crossing itself, and you must yield to trains. A plate under it shows the number of tracks. With more than one track, a second train may be coming, so look again before you cross.

Wrong choices

• Two trains pass here every hour: The plate counts tracks, not trains or train times.
• The tracks are 2 miles ahead: The crossbuck stands at the crossing, not miles before it.
• You must stop twice before crossing: You stop when a train or a signal requires it. The plate does not order two stops.

The pennant (a sideways triangle) is placed on the left side of the road where a driver passing would see it. It marks the beginning of a no passing zone. Finish any pass before you reach it.

Wrong choices

• On the right side of the road, at the end of a no passing zone: The pennant is on the left, and it marks where no passing begins, not ends.
• On the left side of the road, at the end of a school zone: It has nothing to do with school zones.
• Over the center of the road, where passing lanes begin: It is a roadside sign, not an overhead sign, and it starts a no passing area.