Wrong way sign
A red sign reading WRONG WAY. It is posted where a driver who has entered a one-way road or ramp against traffic will see it.
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.
How to read it
The MUTCD uses it to back up the DO NOT ENTER sign where an exit ramp or one-way road meets a crossroad in a way that does not physically prevent wrong-way entry. It stands farther along the ramp or road than the DO NOT ENTER sign. Pennsylvania's manual explains why: it is there to catch the attention of a driver who has turned onto the street or ramp by mistake.
At night
California's handbook points to another sign of the wrong direction after dark: road reflectors that shine red in the headlights.
More road signs
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 2B: Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates, MUTCD 2009, Part 2, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2B.38
- Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, p. 11
- California Driver's Handbook, Section 7: Laws and Rules of the Road, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Signs
- Official Florida Driver License Handbook, rev. 08/2023, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, p. 48
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research