Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Guide Signs

You approach an intersection and see this destination sign. What does its arrow refer to?

Horizontal green guide sign with a white border reading Buffalo 14 beside a white left arrow.
  1. A.
    The direction to follow from that intersection to reach the named place. Correct
  2. B.
    The road you are already traveling on toward the named place.
  3. C.
    The compass direction of the destination from your position.
  4. D.
    The name of the road that leads to the destination.
The Why

The answer is "The direction to follow from that intersection to reach the named place."

The arrow on a destination sign posted at an intersection shows the direction to follow from that intersection to reach the named place, whether that direction is a left turn, a right turn, or straight ahead. Distractor B tempts drivers who carry over the habit of reassurance markers on a through highway, where an arrow only confirms that the road they are already driving still heads the right way.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. The road you are already traveling on toward the named place.

The arrow points ahead from this intersection, not backward along the road that brought you here. This answer confuses a destination sign at an intersection with a reassurance marker on a through highway, where a similar-looking arrow just confirms that the road already being driven still heads the right way.

C. The compass direction of the destination from your position.

The arrow shows which road to take from the intersection, not a compass heading toward the destination. This answer reads a wayfinding arrow as a map compass bearing pointing straight at the destination through hills, rivers, and closed roads rather than naming the way to leave this intersection.

D. The name of the road that leads to the destination.

The arrow shows which way to leave this intersection to reach the named place; it does not label the cross road by name. This answer reads the arrowhead as a tag pointing at the cross road, treating the sign as a label for the intersecting street rather than as an instruction for which way to go.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Guide Signs on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign D1-1a (Destination and Distance Sign)..

More from this topic

Related questions

Free study plan

A free knowledge-test study plan

Pick your state and we'll send a short run of study emails for that test. The printable cheat sheet is free to grab either way.

One email a few times a month. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.