Signs, signals and pavement markings
You see a five-sided (pentagon-shaped) sign ahead. What does it tell you?
- You are near a school: drive slowly and stop for children in the crosswalk. Correct answer
- You are approaching a railroad crossing.
- A no-passing zone begins here.
Why
Sign shapes carry meaning before you can read the words. The five-sided sign is reserved for school zones and school crossings: slow down, expect children and crossing guards, and stop for anyone in the crosswalk. A railroad crossing is announced by a yellow and black circular sign or an X-shaped sign, not a pentagon. Diamond-shaped signs warn of road conditions and dangers ahead, and red-and-white signs regulate what you may or may not do. Near a school, remember that the speed limit drops to 25 mph within 500 feet while children are outside, and that crossing guards' directions must be obeyed at all times.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, DL 600 ENGLISH (REV. 6/2025). The correct answer is You are near a school: drive slowly and stop for children in the crosswalk..
- Section 7. Laws and Rules of the Road › Traffic Control › Signs › 5-sided Sign , page 38
- Section 7. Laws and Rules of the Road › Traffic Control › Signs › Yellow and Black Circular Sign or X-shaped Sign , page 38
- Section 7. Laws and Rules of the Road › Around Children , page 50
- Section 7. Laws and Rules of the Road › Traffic Control › Signs › Red and White Regulatory Sign , page 38