What does the Curve sign mean?
The Curve sign (MUTCD W1-2) is a warning sign under the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the national standard the states build from. A gradual bend rather than a corner. Settle the speed before the entry and hold it, since braking part way around is what puts a car onto the shoulder.
Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2C, Table 2C-1, checked 2026-09-09.
What shape and color is the Curve sign?
| MUTCD code | W1-2 |
|---|---|
| Group | Warning signs |
| Shape | Diamond |
| Color | Yellow background, black symbol and border |
What a diamond means. A warning. It tells you what the road does next and obliges you to do nothing in particular, which is the distinction test writers probe most often.
What yellow means. General warning of a permanent condition ahead.
Warning signs. A diamond reports a condition and orders nothing. What you do about it is left to you, and that gap between a report and an order is what test writers keep probing.
What is the Curve sign often mistaken for?
Turn (W1-1), which is the sharper version of the same idea.
|  |
|---|---|
| GroupWarning signs | GroupWarning signs |
| ShapeDiamond | ShapeDiamond |
| ColorYellow background, black symbol and border | ColorYellow background, black symbol and border |
| What it meansA gradual bend rather than a corner. | What it meansThe alignment breaks sharply, close to a right angle. |
Which signs get mistaken for the Curve sign?
Combination Horizontal Alignment / IntersectionW1-10A plain Curve sign (W1-2). Candidates miss the short stub arm representing the side road.
What does the permit test ask about the Curve sign?
This question is from the practice bank, with the answer marked.
A yellow sign showing a curved arrow with a posted number means:
- A.A mandatory maximum speed limit
- B.An advisory safe speed for the curve(correct answer)
- C.A distance to the next exit
- D.A weight limit for the bridge
Why: The number on a warning sign is advisory: the recommended speed to take the feature safely in good conditions. The legal limit remains the posted regulatory limit.
Source: Federal MUTCD, 11th Edition (FHWA)
What are the other warning signs?
All 55 warning signs on one page, or every US road sign by shape and color.
Test yourself on this sign and the rest of the set with a road signs practice test for Florida, Texas or California.
The artwork is the federal design itself, which the manual dedicates to the public domain in MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 1, Section 1D.06, checked 2026-09-09. The Interstate Shield, the 511 pictograph and the National Scenic Byway graphic are named exceptions and are not reproduced anywhere on this site.
Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 11th Edition. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration or any state agency.