Warning signs
Merge sign
Traffic from another roadway will join yours. Adjust speed and spacing to let it in.
- Diamond
- Yellow
- MUTCD W4-1
Shape and background first
Federal designation W4-1 in the MUTCD, the national standard every state signs to.
What the MUTCD specifies
Designation: W4-1
MUTCD Section 2C.45
Conventional road size: 36 x 36 in
Source: Federal Highway Administration, MUTCD 11th Edition (December 2023), Part 2, Table 2C-1; Table 2C-3, Condition A, verified 2026-09-26.
Where you will see it
Suggested advance placement distance by posted speed (MUTCD guidance, MUTCD 11th Edition (December 2023), Part 2, Table 2C-1; Table 2C-3, Condition A, verified 2026-09-26):
- 35 mph: 565 ft
- 45 mph: 775 ft
- 55 mph: 990 ft
What the test wants you to know
The mistake people make
Merging is a shared duty, but the driver on the entering ramp must yield to traffic already on the main road. Questions about who yields at a merge almost always turn on that point.
The sign people confuse it with
Merge gets mixed up with Lane Ends more than any other pairing in this category. Put them side by side and the difference is obvious, which is exactly why it is worth doing once rather than meeting them cold in the exam.
Merge
Traffic from another roadway will join yours.
Lane Ends
The road narrows ahead and one lane will disappear.
