You face this sign at a junction. What instruction does it give before you continue?
Correct answer: Make a complete stop
The red octagon requires a complete stop. It is different from a yield sign, an advance warning of a stop, and a sign prohibiting entry.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 8, printed 6; Traffic Signs - Sign Shapes: Octagon (Stop). Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What response does the downward-pointing sign call for as you approach conflicting traffic?
Correct answer: Slow and give way, stopping when necessary
Yield means slow down and let conflicting vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists pass safely, stopping when necessary. Its meaning is not an unconditional stop or a road closure.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 8, printed 6; Traffic Signs - Sign Shapes: Triangle (Yield). Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
This sign faces you at a ramp entrance. What does it tell you about entering from your approach?
Correct answer: Entry from this direction is prohibited
Do Not Enter prohibits entering from the direction the sign faces. It is not permission to enter after stopping and does not merely restrict a particular vehicle size.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 9, printed 7; Regulatory signs: Do Not Enter - Wrong Way. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
If this sign faces your car after you have entered a road, what is it warning you about?
Correct answer: Your direction is opposite the permitted traffic flow
Wrong Way warns that the vehicle is moving against the permitted direction of traffic. This question identifies the sign, not a turn-around or reversing procedure.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 9, printed 7; Regulatory signs: Do Not Enter - Wrong Way. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
Text-description practice: A rectangular ONE WAY sign has its arrow pointing right. What does that arrow establish?
Correct answer: Traffic on that roadway travels only to the right
The arrow on a One Way sign identifies the permitted direction of traffic on that roadway. It is not a U-turn instruction or a slower-traffic lane rule.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 9, printed 7; Regulatory signs: One Way. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Which maneuver is prohibited by the symbol shown here?
Correct answer: Turning around to travel in the opposite direction
The U-shaped arrow under the red circle and slash means no U-turn. The symbol identifies the prohibited maneuver; it is not a warning about the road's shape.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 9, printed 7; Regulatory signs: No U-Turn. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
A driver reaches the island marked by this sign. Which side does the sign direct traffic to use?
Correct answer: The right side of the island or obstruction
Keep Right directs traffic past the right side of the island, median or barrier shown by the symbol. It does not direct a turn at another junction.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 9, printed 7; Regulatory signs: Keep Right. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
Which movement would conflict with this sign?
Correct answer: Making a right turn
The red circle and slash prohibit the right turn represented by the arrow. The sign is not a general ban on stopping or on every other lawful movement.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 9, printed 7; Regulatory signs: No Right Turn. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What special activity should this five-sided sign lead you to watch for?
Correct answer: Children near a school area or school crossing
The pentagon and walking figures identify a school-area or school-crossing warning. Read any supplementary plaque for the exact location or other information; the symbol alone does not supply a speed number.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: School Zone/School Crossing; shape on physical9. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What traffic pattern should you expect beyond this warning sign?
Correct answer: Traffic joining the same roadway from the right
The branch joins the main arrow, warning of merging traffic. It differs from an added-lane sign, whose entering lane continues separately. The sign does not settle every driver's legal priority.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Merge. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
You are using the right-hand lane when you see this sign. What change in the roadway is ahead?
Correct answer: The right lane ends and traffic must merge left when safe
The right side of the lane diagram tapers inward. It warns that the right lane ends, so a driver there must find a safe opportunity to merge left.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Lane Reduction. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What change in the separation of traffic does this sign announce?
Correct answer: A median or divider will separate opposing roadways ahead
The divider at the upper part of the symbol indicates that a divided highway begins ahead. Opposing traffic will be on separate roadways; this is the counterpart of Divided Highway Ends.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Divided Highway Begins. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
Beyond this sign, which roadway arrangement should you anticipate?
Correct answer: Opposing traffic without the present median or divider
This sign warns that the divided highway ends. The black divider is at the lower part of the symbol, and the road ahead carries traffic in both directions without that separation.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Divided Highway Ends. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
Which hazard is represented by the car and winding tracks on this warning sign?
Correct answer: Reduced grip on wet pavement
The skidding-car symbol warns of slippery pavement when wet. It concerns traction, not the road's alignment or a special vehicle entitlement.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Slippery When Wet. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What does the measurement between the upward and downward arrows describe?
Correct answer: The clearance beneath an overhead obstruction
This is a low-clearance warning. The displayed measurement concerns overhead space; compare the actual vehicle's height with the actual sign, rather than treating this illustration's number as a universal clearance.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Low Clearance Sign. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What roadway condition does the truck-on-a-slope symbol warn about?
Correct answer: A steep grade ahead
The hill symbol warns of a steep grade. The truck is part of the warning graphic; it does not make the sign a truck-only access, parking or weighing instruction.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Hill. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What does this arrow warn you to prepare for beyond the sign?
Correct answer: A series of turns or curves
The repeated bends indicate a winding road with a series of turns or curves. It is an advance warning about the route, not an instruction to weave across lanes.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: Winding Road. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
The red octagon appears inside a yellow diamond with an upward arrow. What should you expect?
Correct answer: A stop sign farther ahead
The yellow diamond is advance warning of a stop sign ahead. Distinguish it from the red octagonal stop sign at the actual control point.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Stop Ahead/Yield Ahead. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
The triangular symbol is inside a yellow diamond below an upward arrow. What control is being announced?
Correct answer: A yield sign farther ahead
The upward arrow over the yield symbol is advance warning of a yield sign. It announces a later control rather than replacing it with a stop or lane-use rule.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Stop Ahead/Yield Ahead. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
What location does this round yellow sign warn you is ahead?
Correct answer: A highway-rail crossing
The round sign with X and R symbols warns of a railroad crossing ahead. Its circular shape does not mean roundabout, and it is not a crossing-clearance guarantee.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: Railroad Crossing. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. Illustration: existing official FHWA 2009 panel, verified against the Virginia example; design provenance only, not an adoption claim. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow diamond shows a black T with your approach represented by its stem. What roadway layout is ahead?
Correct answer: Your road ends at a road running left and right
The T symbol shows the approaching road ending at another road, requiring a left or right route choice. This item identifies geometry, not the separate controls or right-of-way at every T intersection.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: T Intersection. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow diamond shows a black arrow that makes a sharp right-angle bend to the right. What is the warning?
Correct answer: The roadway makes a sharp right turn ahead
The yellow warning diamond announces a sharp right turn in the road. A prohibition uses a slash, and Keep Right uses a different regulatory obstacle-and-arrow symbol.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: Sharp Right Turn. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow diamond's route arrow bends sharply right and then sharply left. Which sequence should the driver expect?
Correct answer: A sharp right turn followed by a sharp left turn
Read the symbol from the bottom upward along the approaching route. This example warns of successive sharp turns, first right and then left, rather than a fork.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: Sharp Right and Left Turns. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow diamond contains a black plus-shaped roadway symbol. What should you anticipate?
Correct answer: A crossroad where traffic may enter from either side
The plus-shaped roadway diagram warns of an intersection with a crossing road. It does not by itself establish which driver has priority or promise a clear route.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: Intersections. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow diamond contains a leaping deer silhouette. What does it identify?
Correct answer: An area where deer may cross the roadway
The deer silhouette warns of an area where deer cross. Be alert and ready to slow or stop; the sign is not an animal-only route or an unconditional stop control.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Deer Crossing. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow or yellow-green diamond contains a bicycle symbol, without a red slash. What should you expect?
Correct answer: Bicyclists crossing or riding beside traffic in the area
The warning diamond alerts drivers to bicycle activity. The absence of a prohibition slash and the warning shape distinguish it from a bicycle ban or a regulatory access restriction.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Bicycle Crossing/Bike Path. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow or yellow-green diamond shows a single walking figure. A small arrow plaque beneath points toward a crossing. What does the assembly identify?
Correct answer: The location of a pedestrian crossing
The walking-figure warning alerts drivers to pedestrians, and the supplementary arrow can identify the actual crossing location. The plaque is not a vehicle-turn command.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 10, printed 8; Warning signs: Pedestrian Crossing. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: Two white boards cross diagonally and read RAILROAD CROSSING. What does this crossbuck identify?
Correct answer: A railroad crossing requiring attention to rail traffic
The crossbuck identifies a railroad crossing. It is not proof that tracks are clear and does not substitute for attention to other crossing controls and rail traffic. No vehicle-specific stopping exception is tested.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: Railroad Crossbuck. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: A yellow diamond depicts the underside of a long vehicle contacting raised railroad tracks. What is the particular hazard?
Correct answer: A low vehicle could drag or become hung up at the crossing
The symbol warns of a crossing profile that can catch the underside of low vehicles. This is ground-clearance recognition, not an overhead-height sign or a procedure for a vehicle stuck on tracks.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 11, printed 9; Warning signs: Low Ground Railroad Crossing. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
Text-description practice: An orange-and-black DETOUR sign has an arrow pointing right. What is the sign directing you toward?
Correct answer: The indicated temporary alternate route
A detour sign guides traffic onto the indicated alternate route around a changed or obstructed route. Its arrow is route guidance, not parking permission or an exemption from other controls.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual, DMV39 (April 27, 2026), current-linked 40-page PDF; Section2 Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; physical 12, printed 10; Work-zone signs: Road Construction Ahead - Detour. Complete physical8-15 text and diagrams reviewed September13,2026. Road-sign recognition/meaning only; no signal or pavement-marking rule. ↗
