For More Information: https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/ Contact Information: Kevin Sylvester at Kevin.Sylvester@dot.gov

The color of roadway signs is an important indicator of the information they contain. The use of red on signs is limited to stop, yield, and prohibition signs. A white background indicates a regulatory sign; yellow conveys a general warning message; green shows permitted traffic movements or directional guidance; fluorescent yellow/green indicates pedestrian crossings and school zones; orange is used for warning and guidance in roadway work zones; coral is used for incident management signs;** blue indicates road user services, tourist information, and evacuation routes; and brown is for guidance to sites of public recreation or cultural interest.

Snow Plow Lights LED

Test your Sign IQ by taking the interactive shape and color quiz available on the web at https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov. On the navigation bar under Knowledge, select Sign Shape/Color.

Sign shape can also alert roadway users to the type of information displayed on a sign. Traffic regulations are conveyed in signs that are rectangular with the longer direction vertical or square. Additional regulatory signs are octagons for stop and inverted triangles for yield. Diamond-shaped signs signify warnings. Rectangular signs with the longer direction horizontal provide guidance information. Pentagons indicate school zones. A circular sign warns of a railroad crossing.

LED Plow Lights with turn signals

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PlowLight Bar

Hard copies of the MUTCD can be purchased from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (http://www.aashto.org); the Institute of Transportation Engineers (http://www.ite.org); the American Traffic Safety Services Association (http://www.atssa.com); and the US Government Printing Office (http://www.gpo.gov). The Standard Highway Signs book can be purchase from the US Government Printing Office and the American Traffic Safety Services Association through the web sites listed above.

Roadway signs in the United States increasingly use symbols rather than words to convey their message. Symbols provide instant communication with roadway users, overcome language barriers, and are becoming standard for traffic control devices throughout the world. Familiarity with symbols on traffic signs is important for every road user in order to maintain the safety and efficiency of our transportation facilities.

Standards for the sign design and application of the signs shown here as well as for other traffic control devices are contained in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Dimension drawings for signs can be found in the Standard Highway Signs book. Both of these books are available in electronic format online at https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov. This web site also contains information on standard lettering used on highway signs and pavement markings and on highway sign color specifications.

In climates where snow and ice can dangerously impair visibility, Grote’s LED Heated Snow Plow Lamps are ideal as cold weather supplemental lighting or as road-legal driving lights when the vehicle’s headlights are obstructed. These lamps automatically prevent snow and ice buildup with a sensor that monitors the lens and activates an internal heating element when its temperature falls too low. Designed for the tough conditions facing plow operators, the LED Heated Snow Plow Lamps can be mounted on tractors, ATVs, and other vehicles that operate in wintery conditions.

Prepared in 2002 by the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Office of Transportation Operations

**The use of coral for incident management signs was anticipated for inclusion in the 2003 edition of the MUTCD at the time of this printing.