Turn sign
A yellow diamond with an arrow bent at a right angle. It warns of a sharp turn in the road ahead.
How to read it
The MUTCD uses it instead of the Curve sign ahead of bends with an advisory speed of 30 mph or less. Some turn signs carry that advisory speed on the sign itself or on a plaque below it, as Pennsylvania's manual notes.
Rules vary by state and country. This explains the sign's standard meaning in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; it isn't legal advice.
When it replaces the Curve sign
The dividing line is the advisory speed: at 30 mph (about 50 km/h) or less, the MUTCD calls for the Turn sign in place of the Curve sign. The 2009 edition made that a requirement ("shall"); the 11th edition (2023) words it as guidance ("should"). State manuals name it differently: Sharp Left Turn or Sharp Right Turn in Pennsylvania and Florida, Road Turns Left in Michigan.
Signs for sharper bends
Two turns in opposite directions less than about 180 m (600 ft) apart get the Reverse Turn sign (W1-3). A bend of 135 degrees or more may get the Hairpin Curve sign (W1-11), and one of about 270 degrees, as on a cloverleaf ramp, the 270-degree Loop sign (W1-15).
Read next
- Next in Road signsReverse curve signA yellow diamond with an S-shaped arrow. It warns of two curves ahead, the first bending one way and the second bending back.
- The same shape in Flowchart symbolsDecisionA point where the flow branches. The decision symbol is a diamond holding a question or condition, with one path leaving it for each possible answer, often labelled Yes and No.
More road signs
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with arrows or diamonds.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 2C: Warning Signs and Object Markers, MUTCD 2009, Part 2, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2C.07
- Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, p. 13
- Official Florida Driver License Handbook, rev. 08/2023, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, p. 50
- What Every Driver Must Know, Michigan driver manual, Michigan Department of State, Chapter 5, sign 31
- Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 11th edition, MUTCD, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2C.07, paras 02, 03, 07, 08 (printed pp. 155, 158)
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 3, 2026. How we research
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