Montana · Handbook chapter 4 · 4 min read

Chapter 4: Signals, roundabouts, railroads and pavement markings

Montana traffic and pedestrian signals, flashing and arrow lights, turning on red, roundabout rules, railroad crossings and stopping distance, and lane lines, reversible and reserved lanes.

Why this chapter matters

Signals and lines decide who moves and where. Montana's roundabout rules, railroad distances and the meaning of each colored arrow come up again and again in practice questions.

Traffic signals

• Right on red: after a full stop, unless a sign or officer forbids it, yielding to pedestrians, bicyclists and traffic.
• Left on red: allowed from a one-way street onto another one-way street, after stopping.
• If a signal is not working, stop as if there were stop signs in all directions.

Pedestrian signals

A white walking figure means WALK; an upheld orange hand means DON'T WALK. Pedestrians already in the crosswalk when DON'T WALK starts flashing should keep crossing.

Roundabouts

1. Slow down: speeds in a roundabout are 15 mph or less.
2. Look left and yield to vehicles already in the circle. Traffic moves counterclockwise.
3. Stay right of the center island; never pass another vehicle in a single-lane roundabout.
4. Signal right and exit at your street.

• Drop back behind large trucks; their rear wheels may ride over the sloped truck apron.
• Yield to pedestrians at the crosswalks.
• For an emergency vehicle, do not stop inside the roundabout: exit, then pull to the right.

Railroad crossings

• Stop no closer than 15 feet from the nearest rail when signals, gates, a stop sign or a flagger show a train coming, or when a train is within 1,500 feet or clearly visible.
• Advance warning signs, pavement markings (an X and the letters RR), crossbucks, flashing lights and gates warn you of a crossing. A plaque under the crossbuck shows the number of tracks.
• Stop when the lights start flashing and stay stopped until the gates rise and the lights stop.
• With more than one track, wait until the train is well down the track; another train may be hidden behind it.
• Never start across until there is room for your vehicle on the far side, and avoid shifting gears on the tracks.

Lines on the road

• White lines separate traffic going the same way; yellow lines separate traffic going opposite ways.
• Dashed white: change lanes when safe. Solid white: stay in your lane unless you must change.
• Dashed yellow: pass when safe. Solid yellow on your side: no passing. Double solid yellow: no passing either way.
• You may cross a solid yellow line to turn left into a driveway, parking lot or road.
• Stop before the stop line, or the crosswalk if there is one.

Special lanes

• Reversible lanes, often marked with double dashed yellow lines: a green arrow means use the lane; a red X means do not; a flashing yellow X means turning only; a steady yellow X means move out, the lane is changing.
• Reserved lanes often show a white diamond. An HOV 3 lane needs at least three people in the vehicle.
• A shared center lane, marked with solid and dashed yellow lines on each side, is for left turns (and U-turns where allowed) by traffic from both directions.