Whether you’re studying for your Arizona driving test or you want to be a safe driver, it’s critical that you understand all road signs in the state.
Remember that road signs are always there for a reason. Road signs such as signal lights, traffic signs, pavement markings, and other road devices are used to control the flow of traffic on Arizona roads and highways.
To help you familiarize yourself with these, we’re going to give you a 2023 guide on Arizona road signs.
So let’s begin!
Signal Lights in Arizona
Signal lights or traffic lights are found along Arizona’s intersections to regulate the flow and direction of traffic.
Aside from cars and other four-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, and other motorists should follow signal lights.
To begin, let’s look at the primary signal lights.
1. Green
A green signal means GO.
If the roadway is clear, you may continue in the direction indicated by the green light.
Make sure to check left and right before crossing any intersection to avoid a collision with a red-light runner. Make sure to yield to vehicles already at the intersection when the signal light changes.
2. Yellow
A yellow signal means CAUTION. A steady yellow signal indicates that the light is about to change to red.
If you are approaching the intersection and the light is yellow, come to a safe stop. If the green light changes to yellow while you are at the intersection, clear the intersection safely.
It’s illegal to speed up to “beat the light.” This often causes collisions.
3. Red
A red signal means STOP.
Drivers must come to a full stop before reaching the intersection, crosswalk, or stop line. You should stay stopped until the light turns green.
When motorist and pedestrian traffic are clear, vehicles that meet a red signal can make a right turn.
Aside from steady green, yellow, and red signal lights, these are other essential signal lights you should know about:
- Flashing yellow light: This signal means that you should slow down and proceed with caution if the road is clear.
- Flashing red light: Similar to steady red light, a flashing red light means that you should come to a full stop. If the roadway is clear, you may proceed with caution.
- Yellow arrow: This signal indicates that the light is about to turn red. Before entering the intersection make a complete stop until a green arrow appears.
- Red arrow: This signal means that you should not turn in the direction of the arrow. Stop and wait for the arrow to turn green.
- Flashing yellow arrow: If the yellow arrow is flashing, make sure to slow down and turn with caution if the roadway is clear.
- Green arrow: Given that the roadway is clear and you are in the right lane, you can proceed in the direction of the arrow.
- Inoperative signal lights: In case you encounter inoperative signal lights, treat it as a four-way stop. Drivers should come to a complete stop before entering the intersection. If you meet another vehicle at the intersection, both need to come to a complete stop. The driver on the left must yield the right-of-way to the driver on the right.
Traffic Signs in Arizona
In this section, we’ll discuss different types of traffic signs in Arizona:
1. Speed Limit Signs
All vehicles need to obey proper speed regulations, which were determined based on road conditions, traffic signs, and the number of crashes in the area.
Speed limit signs with black text are regulatory signs. These indicate the maximum speed a vehicle can go.
Meanwhile, orange speed signs with black text are recommended safe speeds based on road curvature, grade, and location.
When no sign is posted, vehicles should still follow these speed limits:
| Approaching a school crosswalk | 15 mph |
| Business or residential district | 25 mph |
| Highways or city freeways | 55 mph |
| Designated open highways | 65 mph |
| Rural freeways | 75 mph |
2. Regulatory Signs
When you encounter regulatory traffic signs in low visibility conditions such as dust, fog, and heavy rain, it’s important to recognize the shape of the sign:
Octagon
Stop signs have an octagon shape. Drivers should come to a full stop.
Triangle
Triangle signs indicate that a driver should yield the right-of-way to merging traffic or cross traffic.
Rectangular
Rectangular traffic signals regulate the flow of traffic and manage driver direction and speed.
3 Warning Signs
Warning signs are critical to lowering the risk of accidents and collisions:
Turn, curve, winding road
Pennant
This sign entails the beginning of a “no passing zone”.
Diamond
Yellow and diamond-shaped signals warn of impending dangers.
School crossing
e signs indicate that children may cross a pedestrian lane at any time of the day. Arizona school crossing signs are pentagon-shaped and are typically yellow or yellow-green.
Railroad warning
This sign is circle-shaped and indicates that you are approaching a railroad crossing.
Railroad crossing
The X-shape railroad crossing sign marks the location of the crossing. Drivers must stop at least 15 feet away from the nearest railroad track.
Pavement Markings in Arizona
Pavement markings are important because they regulate the flow of traffic and act as a guide for motorists.
Yellow center lines indicate two-way traffic. Meanwhile, white lines are used to separate traffic lane directions and mark the boundary of stop lines, pedestrian lanes, and roadways.
Broken yellow lines
Separate lanes going in opposite directions and permits passing on the left.
Solid and broken yellow lines
Indicate that passing is permitted on only one side of the lane. Broken lines on your lane mean you may overtake, a solid line on your lane means you may not pass.
Double yellow lines
Passing on both sides is not allowed unless you are turning left.
Broken white lines
Indicate that passing should be done with caution.
Solid white lines
Prevents passing lanes near intersections.
Turn lane arrow
Turn lanes with “ONLY” means that you are only allowed to turn in the direction of the arrow. A curved arrow with a straight arrow means you can turn or go straight.
Bicycle warnings and bike lanes
Indicate the presence of cyclists.
Conclusion
To safely navigate the roads of Arizona, make sure to understand the road signs in this article. For further information, read the Arizona Driver License Manual.
This was a crash course on Arizona road signs. So make sure you keep these signals, signs, and markings in mind the next time you go out for a drive.