Warning signs
Road Narrows sign
The road ahead becomes narrower on one or both sides, though no lane actually disappears. Slow down and keep a safer distance from oncoming traffic or the roadside.
- Diamond
- Yellow
- MUTCD W5-1
Shape and background first
Federal designation W5-1 in the MUTCD, the national standard every state signs to. Common where a road crosses an old bridge, causeway or narrow cut built to a smaller width than the highway on either side of it.
What the MUTCD specifies
Designation: W5-1
MUTCD Section 2C.17
Conventional road size: 36 x 36 in
Source: Federal Highway Administration, MUTCD 11th Edition (December 2023), Part 2, Table 2C-1, verified 2026-09-26.
What the test wants you to know
The mistake people make
Read the symbol carefully: unlike Lane Ends, both edges of the road move inward here and the lane count usually stays the same, so there is nowhere new to merge to. The tested response is reducing speed and centering the vehicle, not changing lanes.
The sign people confuse it with
Road Narrows 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.
Road Narrows
The road ahead becomes narrower on one or both sides, though no lane actually disappears.
Lane Ends
The road narrows ahead and one lane will disappear.
