Warning signs
Speed Hump sign
A raised traffic calming hump, wider and gentler than a pothole patch, is ahead. Slow to the posted advisory speed before you reach it.
- Diamond
- Yellow
- MUTCD W17-1
Shape and background first
Federal designation W17-1 in the MUTCD, the national standard every state signs to. Installed by local traffic engineers on residential streets and near schools specifically to force cars to slow down, unlike a bump, which is usually an unplanned road defect.
What the MUTCD specifies
Designation: W17-1
MUTCD Section 2C.27
Conventional road size: 30 x 30 in
Guidance: Post a SPEED HUMP sign in advance of a raised road surface designed to slow traffic.
Source: Federal Highway Administration, MUTCD 11th Edition (December 2023), Part 2, Table 2C-1; Section 2C.27, verified 2026-09-26.
What the test wants you to know
The mistake people make
The word plaque under the bump symbol is the tell: a plain Bump sign warns of an unintentional defect, while a Hump sign marks something built on purpose to slow traffic, usually with its own low advisory speed. Missing that distinction is a common wrong answer on traffic calming questions.
The sign people confuse it with
Speed Hump gets mixed up with Bump 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.
Speed Hump
A raised traffic calming hump, wider and gentler than a pothole patch, is ahead.
Bump
A raised section of pavement is ahead.
