Alaska · Handbook chapter 7 · 7 min read
Chapter 7: Signs, signals and pavement markings
Alaska's sign colors and shapes, common regulatory and warning signs, work zone devices, traffic lights and arrows, pedestrian and lane control signals, and what each pavement marking means.
Why this chapter matters
The knowledge test includes highway sign recognition, so expect questions that show a sign and ask what it means. Learn the colors, the shapes, what each light and arrow tells you, and the difference between yellow and white lines.
How signs help
Signs warn of conditions ahead, guide you to your destination, and tell you the rules. Many fatal crashes happen when a driver ignores a clearly visible sign. Look far ahead and keep your eyes moving, because a driver who stares straight ahead misses signs.
Sign colors
| Sign type | Colors | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory | Black or red on white | A rule backed by law; breaking it can bring a ticket |
| STOP | White on red | Stop completely, then yield |
| YIELD | Red and white | Slow, look and yield; stop if needed |
| DO NOT ENTER | Red and white | Do not go past it; you would be going the wrong way |
| Warning | Black on yellow | Hazard ahead; most warning signs mean slow down |
| School | Black on yellow, five-sided | School area or crosswalk; reduce speed and be ready to stop |
| Construction and maintenance | Black on orange | Road work and temporary conditions |
| Guide | White on green | Destinations, routes and mileage |
| Service | White on blue | Gas, food, lodging, rest areas, campgrounds |
Regulatory signs
- STOP: make a complete stop at the stop line or behind the crosswalk, look both ways and yield.
- YIELD: slow down, look both ways and yield to traffic and pedestrians, stopping only if needed.
- DO NOT ENTER: faces traffic about to go the wrong way into a road or ramp. A WRONG WAY sign may be farther along.
- A red circle with a diagonal slash means the movement or vehicle shown is prohibited.
- NO TURN ON RED: no right turn on a red light.
- Lane signs such as LEFT TURN ONLY tell you the movement you must make from that lane. A center lane sign with two opposite curved arrows and ONLY means the center lane is for left turns only.
- KEEP RIGHT: stay to the right of the sign or island.
- ONE WAY: travel only in the direction shown.
- WEIGHT LIMIT: no vehicle heavier than the limit may go past.
- No parking signs, a SPEED LIMIT sign, and the reserved parking sign for vehicles with disability plates or a placard.
Warning signs
The manual's warning signs include a lane ending (merge left as the road narrows), a school crosswalk (slow to 20 as marked), a one-lane bridge (you may have to stop), a divided highway (keep right), two-way traffic (keep right of oncoming traffic), a slippery road, a signal ahead, traffic merging from the right, a steep downgrade (trucks slow and use a lower gear), low clearance (tall vehicles take another route), deer, moose and caribou crossings, curves with advisory speeds, a winding road, a ramp speed, a roundabout, and a large arrow for a sharp turn.
Work zone signs and devices
Orange signs mark road work: ROAD CONSTRUCTION ahead, a flag person ahead, a survey crew, detours and ROAD CLOSED. Barricades, vertical panels, cones, tubes and drums guide you through work areas and often have lights at night. Large flashing or sequencing arrow panels move you into open lanes. Flag persons usually wear orange and use red flags or STOP/SLOW paddles. Follow their directions.
Traffic signals
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Steady red | Stop behind the crosswalk or stop line, or before the intersection. You may turn right after a full stop when safe, unless a sign forbids it. |
| Steady yellow | Red is about to appear. Stop unless you are in the intersection or too close to stop safely. |
| Steady green | Go if the intersection is clear. Yield to pedestrians and vehicles still in it, and to oncoming traffic when turning left. |
| Red arrow | Do not make that movement; no turns until the arrow changes to green or flashing yellow. |
| Yellow arrow | The arrow is about to turn red; stop that movement unless you cannot stop safely. |
| Green arrow | Make the movement shown, still yielding to anyone already in the intersection. |
| Flashing red ball or arrow | Stop, look in all directions and go only when safe. |
| Flashing yellow ball | Slow down and use caution; yield to pedestrians and vehicles in the intersection. |
| Flashing yellow arrow | Turn with caution, yielding to oncoming traffic, pedestrians and vehicles in the intersection. |
If a signal is completely dark, with no other signal working for your direction and no one directing traffic, treat the intersection as uncontrolled: stop, yield to traffic on your right, go only when safe, and report it to police.
Always obey a police officer, firefighter or authorized flag person, whatever the signs or signals say.
Pedestrian signals
- WALK or a walking person: pedestrians may cross with care in the direction of the signal.
- Steady DON'T WALK or a steady upraised hand: do not start crossing; anyone already crossing should finish.
- Flashing DON'T WALK or upraised hand: do not start; those already crossing may continue. With a countdown timer, you may start only if you can finish before it reaches zero.
Lane control signals
Reversible lanes, often marked with double dashed yellow lines, have signals overhead:
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Steady red X | Do not use the lane; opposing traffic may use it |
| Steady yellow X | Clear the lane safely; a red X is coming |
| Steady green arrow | You may drive in this lane |
Do not enter the lane if the signals are not lit. Two-way left turn arrows mark a center lane both directions may use for left turns; a one-way left turn arrow marks a lane opposing traffic may not use.
Pavement markings
Pavement markings have the same force of law as signs and signals.
- Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions.
- White lines separate traffic going in the same direction.
- Dashed lines allow crossing, solid white lines discourage it, and solid yellow lines forbid it.
- Driving on the shoulder is against the law.
Yellow lines
- A dashed yellow center line means passing is permitted on a two-lane road.
- A solid yellow center line means no passing, although you may turn across it into a driveway.
- A single solid yellow line marks the left edge of a divided or one-way road.
- A shared center lane is for left turns from either direction only; it is not for driving, accelerating or passing.
White lines
- Dashed white lines separate lanes where changing lanes is allowed.
- Solid white lines mark lanes for special uses where changing lanes is discouraged, and the outer edge of the pavement.
- Arrows in a lane mean you must make the movement shown.
- Legends such as STOP AHEAD, SCHOOL and R X R warn of special conditions; be ready to stop.
- Stop lines show the farthest point you may stop. Crosswalks and parking space lines are white too; park within marked stalls.
- Diamond markings and special signs mark lanes reserved for buses or carpools.
Pedestrians have the right of way at marked crosswalks and at intersections, even where no crosswalk is painted.
Frequently asked questions
What does a five-sided sign mean?
A school area or school crosswalk ahead. Slow down and be ready to stop for pedestrians.
What color are construction signs?
Black on orange.
What should I do at a dark traffic signal?
Treat it as an uncontrolled intersection: stop, yield to traffic on your right and go only when it is safe.
What is the difference between yellow and white lines?
Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate traffic moving the same way.
Based on the Alaska Driver Manual (Alaska DMV).