Wyoming · Handbook chapter 7 · 2 min read

Chapter 7: Signs, signals, markings and railroad crossings

Wyoming sign shapes and colors, overhead lane signs, use of lanes, pavement markings and highway-rail crossings.

Why this chapter matters

The Wyoming written test includes identifying signs by shape, color or symbol, and recognizing signals and pavement markings.

Signs

• Shapes matter: you can read a sign's shape even when fog or darkness hide its words. Diamonds warn of hazards; rectangles give regulations such as speeds and directions.
• STOP is an eight-sided red sign; YIELD is a downward triangle.
• Warning signs are yellow diamonds; work zone signs are orange.
• A red circle with a slash forbids what it shows.
• An overhead or pavement arrow with ONLY means you must go that way.

Use of lanes

• On a two-lane road, keep right and yield the left half to oncoming traffic.
• With three or more lanes your way, the middle lanes usually flow best; the left lane is for faster traffic, passing and left turns; the right for slower traffic and right turns.

Pavement markings

• White lines separate traffic going the same way; yellow lines separate opposite directions.
• Broken lines: passing or lane changes allowed when clear.
• Solid white: lane changing is hazardous.
• Solid yellow on your side: no passing or lane changes, except to turn left into or out of an alley, private road or driveway.
• Double yellow: no passing either way.

Railroad crossings

• Crossbucks are yield signs: slow, look and listen, and stop if a train comes. A plaque shows the number of tracks.
• Advance warning signs and RXR pavement markings come first; stay behind the stop line.
• Stop for flashing lights; with gates, stop before the gate area and wait until they rise and the lights stop.
• Never drive onto a crossing unless you can clear it, never race a train and never pass at a crossing.
• If you stall on the tracks, get everyone out and away at once and call 911.