Sharing the road
You come up behind a road maintenance vehicle with an orange and red triangle on its back. What does the triangle tell you?
- It is a slow-moving vehicle, which usually travels at 25 mph or less. Correct answer
- Its load may be dangerous, and it must stop before crossing railroad tracks.
- It is an emergency vehicle, so you must pull to the right and stop.
Why
The orange and red triangle marks a slow-moving vehicle. Road maintenance vehicles are the handbook's example, and they usually move at 25 mph or less, so expect to close the gap on one quickly. These vehicles can also take a while to pick up speed when they pull into traffic. The answer about a dangerous load describes a different sign, the diamond-shaped placard on a truck, and it is that truck that must stop before railroad tracks. Pulling to the right edge and stopping is what you do for an emergency vehicle using a siren and red lights, not for a triangle.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is It is a slow-moving vehicle, which usually travels at 25 mph or less.
The rule behind this one
Sharing the road in California goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on sharing the road
- You ride a bicycle after dark. From how far away must your rear red reflector or red light be visible?
- Ahead of you, a rider on horseback is moving cattle along a rural road. What does the handbook tell you to do?
- On a one-way street, a bicyclist is riding near the left curb. Is that allowed?
- When does the handbook allow a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk?