Road signs/Side Road Sign
Side Road Sign: what it means and what to do
A side road sign means a smaller road joins yours ahead, on the side shown on the sign. Watch for vehicles pulling out.
What it looks like
A yellow diamond with a black line for your road and a shorter line joining from one side.
What to do
- Slow down enough to react if a vehicle pulls out in front of you.
- Look at the side shown on the sign for entering vehicles.
- Be extra careful where hedges, hills or curves hide the side road.
Quick check: Side Road Sign
Two questions to test what you just read.
What does the side road sign mean?
On the permit test
Tests show the sign and ask what it warns about; the answer is a road entering from the side.
Where it shows up on state tests
1 question across our state banks shows this sign. Here is how many each bank has, and what each state's own test rules say about road signs.
| State | Questions showing it | What the state says about signs |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1 | No separate sign section published. |
How it differs from similar signs
| Sign | How to recognise it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Side Road Sign | Yellow diamond warning sign showing a side road joining from the right | A side road sign means a smaller road joins yours ahead, on the side shown on the sign. |
| Crossroad Sign | Yellow diamond warning sign with a black plus-shaped crossroad symbol | A crossroad sign means another road crosses yours ahead, so traffic may enter from both sides. |
| T Intersection Sign | Yellow diamond warning sign with a black T-shaped intersection symbol | A T intersection sign means your road ends ahead at a T: it does not continue straight through, and you will have to turn left or right. |
| Merge Sign | Yellow diamond warning sign showing a lane merging into the main road | A merge sign means traffic from another road or ramp may merge into your lane ahead. |
See them side by side
Common questions
A road joins yours from the side shown. Slow down and watch for cars entering.
All road signs Practice your state’s permit test free
Sources, checked 2026-10-08: Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95), Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings; Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (FHWA). Written in our own words; follow your state’s manual for the exact wording.