Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Road Markings

The word SCHOOL is painted in large white block letters on the pavement ahead of you. What does this marking indicate?

The word SCHOOL painted in large white block capital letters on dark roadway pavement, oriented to be read by an approaching driver.
  1. A.
    You are approaching a school zone; watch for children and obey any posted school-zone speed limit. Correct
  2. B.
    You must come to a complete stop before crossing the letters.
  3. C.
    You only need to yield to school buses displaying flashing red lights.
  4. D.
    You must merge into the adjacent lane to bypass a school driveway.
The Why

The answer is "You are approaching a school zone; watch for children and obey any posted school-zone speed limit."

The SCHOOL legend warns you're approaching a school zone or school crossing. Watch for children walking or crossing, and obey any posted school-zone speed limit when the zone is active. Drivers who treat the block letters as a stop bar are reading a warning marking as a regulatory one; big white paint across a lane can look interchangeable, but only a painted stop line demands a halt.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. You must come to a complete stop before crossing the letters.

The SCHOOL legend is an advance warning of the zone, not a stop bar; nothing about the word itself requires a halt at the pavement marking. Reads the block letters as a painted stop bar because both are prominent white paint across the lane.

C. You only need to yield to school buses displaying flashing red lights.

The marking warns every driver of a school zone approach; the school-bus stop rule is a separate law tied to the bus's own lights, not to this pavement legend. Substitutes a school-bus rule because the word SCHOOL brings buses to mind before the pedestrian zone the legend actually flags.

D. You must merge into the adjacent lane to bypass a school driveway.

The legend warns of a school zone ahead; it does not close a lane or route you around a driveway, so stay in your lane and slow down. Treats the pavement legend as a lane-use instruction because other painted markings often tell drivers where to steer.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.22 (SCHOOL Pavement Word Marking)..

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