Road Signs

Study questions with answers

12 sample Road Signs questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. Purple traffic signs are associated with what?

   Correct answer: Electronic toll collection

   Purple is used for electronic toll collection signs, marking lanes and systems that read a transponder.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs (Sign Colors)

2. 2. Green highway signs are used mainly for what?

   Correct answer: Giving directions and showing destinations

   Green guide signs give directions, list destinations and distances, and guide you through highway interchanges.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Guide Signs

3. 3. What does an orange-colored traffic sign warn you about?

   Correct answer: A road construction or maintenance area

   Orange signs mark road construction and maintenance zones. Slow down and watch for workers, equipment, and changing conditions.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs (Sign Colors)

4. 4. Signs with a brown background are used to direct drivers to which of the following?

   Correct answer: Parks, recreation areas, and scenic sites

   Brown signs point the way to public recreation areas, parks, points of interest, and scenic or historic sites.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs (Sign Colors)

5. 5. A diamond-shaped sign with a yellow background is generally used to do what?

   Correct answer: Alert you to a hazard or a change in the road ahead

   Yellow diamond-shaped signs are warning signs. They alert you to a hazard or a change in road conditions ahead, such as a curve or crossing.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Warning Signs

6. 6. A round yellow sign showing an X and the letters RR warns you of what?

   Correct answer: A railroad crossing is ahead

   This round warning sign means a railroad crossing is ahead. Slow down and be ready to stop for a train.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Railroad Crossings

7. 7. What does a No Passing Zone sign tell you?

   Correct answer: You may not overtake and pass other vehicles

   This regulatory sign means you may not overtake and pass another vehicle in that section of road.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Regulatory Signs

8. 8. A blue roadside sign most often gives information about what?

   Correct answer: Services such as fuel, food, and lodging

   Blue signs identify motorist services such as fuel, food, and lodging, and they also mark evacuation routes.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs (Sign Colors)

9. 9. A downward-pointing, red-and-white triangular sign tells a driver to do what?

   Correct answer: Give way and be ready to stop

   A downward triangle is a YIELD sign. Slow down, give way to traffic, bicyclists, and pedestrians, and stop if conditions require it.

   Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Stop and Yield Signs

10. 10. What does a red, eight-sided (octagonal) traffic sign always require you to do?

    Correct answer: Bring your vehicle to a complete halt

    A red octagon is always a STOP sign. You must bring the vehicle to a full halt, then yield to pedestrians and cross traffic before going.

    Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Stop and Yield Signs

11. 11. On traffic signs, the color red is used to indicate what?

    Correct answer: A stop or a prohibited action

    Red signals a stop or a prohibited action, as on STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, and WRONG WAY signs.

    Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs (Sign Colors)

12. 12. Fluorescent yellow-green signs are used to warn drivers of what?

    Correct answer: School zones and pedestrian or bicycle crossings

    Fluorescent yellow-green is reserved for school zones and for pedestrian, bicycle, and curve warnings, so they stand out to drivers.

    Source: Massachusetts Driver's Manual — Traffic Signs (Sign Colors)