Road Signs

Study questions with answers

9 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. On a steep mountain downgrade, what do the posted signs tell drivers about escape ramps?

   Correct answer: Where along the grade the ramps are located

   Signs along steep grades point out where the escape ramps are. Such ramps use soft material, sometimes combined with an upgrade, to bring a runaway vehicle to a safe stop.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Brake Failure on Downgrades)

2. 2. What does a red triangle with an orange center on the back of a vehicle mean?

   Correct answer: The vehicle moves much slower than normal traffic

   That emblem is the slow-moving vehicle symbol, warning you that the vehicle ahead, such as farm or construction equipment, travels much slower than normal traffic.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Slow Drivers)

3. 3. On a downgrade, a sign reading 'Maximum Safe Speed' means you should do what?

   Correct answer: Never go faster than the posted number

   Where a maximum safe speed is posted on a grade, do not travel faster than the number shown, and also heed any signs describing the grade's length and steepness.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Speed on Downgrades)

4. 4. At a railroad crossing, a small sign mounted below the cross-buck that shows a number tells you what?

   Correct answer: How many tracks the crossing has

   When the road spans more than one set of rails, a sign beneath the cross-buck states how many tracks are present, so you know to check each one.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Cross-buck Signs)

5. 5. A round railroad advance warning sign, yellow with a black symbol, is posted ahead of a crossing to prepare you to do what?

   Correct answer: Get ready to slow, check for a train, and stop if one is near

   This yellow advance sign warns that a crossing lies ahead so you can ease off your speed, watch and listen for a train, and be ready to halt at the tracks if one is coming.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Warning Signs and Devices)

6. 6. At a railroad crossing marked with an advance warning sign, which vehicles are always required to stop?

   Correct answer: All passenger and hazmat-carrying vehicles

   All passenger-carrying vehicles and vehicles carrying hazardous materials are required to stop at the crossing, unlike ordinary trucks that may proceed when the tracks are clear.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Advance Warning Signs)

7. 7. The X-shaped cross-buck posted at a grade crossing is a sign that directs drivers to do what?

   Correct answer: Give way to any approaching train

   A cross-buck marks the crossing itself and tells you to give way to any train, since a train always holds priority at that spot.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Cross-buck Signs)

8. 8. Signs at a railroad crossing that display a toll-free telephone number are provided so the public can do what?

   Correct answer: Report a blocked track or a broken signal at that crossing

   Railroads post emergency notification signs with a toll-free number so drivers can report a stalled vehicle, something blocking the tracks, or a warning signal that is not working at that crossing.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Emergency Notification System)

9. 9. What shape is a hazardous materials placard?

   Correct answer: A diamond (a square set on a point)

   Placards are square signs turned upright on a point, forming a diamond shape at least 9.8 inches on a side.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Placards)