Regulatory and Warning Signs

Key points

1. At a stop sign, stop completely and yield to any traffic close enough to be a hazard.

   Source: Handbook p. 22

   “It requires you to come to a COMPLETE STOP before entering an intersection. After stopping, you MUST yield to any traffic close enough to be a hazard.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 22

2. A yield sign means let other vehicles on the roadway have the right of way.

   Source: Handbook p. 22

   “It means you MUST let other vehicles on the roadway have the right-of-way.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 22

3. At a Wrong Way sign, leave the roadway and turn around as soon as possible.

   Source: Handbook p. 22

   “You must leave the roadway and turn around as soon as possible.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 22

4. Some signs mean right turns are never allowed while the signal is red.

   Source: Handbook p. 22

   “signs like these mean RIGHT TURNS ARE NEVER ALLOWED while the traffic signal is red.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 22

5. A speed limit sign shows the maximum speed under ideal conditions.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “This sign indicates the MAXIUM SPEED ALLOWED under ideal driving conditions.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 23

6. A plate under a stop sign saying other traffic does not stop means this is not a four way stop.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “It tells you that although you must stop for your stop sign, this is NOT a four-way stop. Other traffic lanes have the right-of-way and will not stop.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 25

7. A school zone sign means 15 mph during recess or school arrival and dismissal.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “SCHOOL ZONE: Fifteen miles per hour when passing a school during recess or while children are arriving at or leaving school during opening/closing hours.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 25

8. A slow moving vehicle emblem marks vehicles going 25 mph or less.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “This emblem identifies SLOW-MOVING VEHICLES (vehicles that travel twenty-five (25) miles per hour or less).”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 27

Numbers to know

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the Mississippi practice test

1. 1. At this octagonal sign, what action is required before entering the intersection?

   
   1. Stop only when another vehicle has already entered
   2. Reduce speed but continue if no pedestrian is visible
   3. Come to a complete stop, then yield to nearby traffic that could be a hazard
   4. Yield without stopping whenever the roadway looks clear
   Show answer

   Come to a complete stop, then yield to nearby traffic that could be a hazard. Mississippi reserves the eight-sided shape for STOP signs. The driver must stop completely before entering the intersection, then yield to traffic close enough to create a hazard. A clear-looking roadway does not remove the stopping duty, and merely reducing speed is not enough. The option that waits for another vehicle also reverses the rule because the sign controls your approach regardless of who else is present. Use the shape as the fast visual cue: an octagon means full stop first, followed by a careful check of every relevant approach.

2. 2. What does the triangular YIELD sign require you to do?

   
   1. Let other vehicles on the roadway have the right-of-way
   2. Stop for exactly three seconds before proceeding
   3. Enter first because the triangle grants priority
   4. Yield only to vehicles approaching from the left
   Show answer

   Let other vehicles on the roadway have the right-of-way. The equilateral triangle identifies a YIELD sign, and its instruction is to let other vehicles on the roadway have the right-of-way. The manual does not impose a fixed three-second stop, nor does the shape grant priority to the approaching driver. Limiting the check to the left could miss traffic from another direction. Slow enough to evaluate the entire conflict area, stop if needed, and proceed only after the roadway is safe. The key cue is triangle equals surrender priority, not automatic stopping for a set duration.

3. 3. What does a diamond-shaped traffic sign warn a Mississippi driver about?

   1. A destination and distance to a town
   2. An existing or possible hazard on or beside the roadway
   3. A rule allowing parking for a limited time
   4. A required route for hazardous materials
   Show answer

   An existing or possible hazard on or beside the roadway. The diamond is reserved to warn of an existing or possible hazard on or adjacent to the roadway. A destination sign provides guidance, while parking and hazardous-material route instructions are different sign functions. The warning may involve a curve, intersection, school area, or another roadway condition, so the driver should reduce risk by scanning ahead and adjusting speed when needed. Shape recognition is the quick cue: diamond means warning of a hazard, not a direction, service, or ordinary regulation.

Source: the Mississippi Driver's Manual, Regulatory and Warning Signs. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.