Road Signs and Their Meanings: “Winding Road”
The Winding Road sign (W1-5) warns drivers of a roadway with more than three turns or curves ahead. The curves or turns are each separated by a tangent distance of less than 600 feet.
You can see a supplemental distance plaque below the Winding Road sign where continuous roadway curves exist for a specific distance.
When there are just two turns or curves ahead, a driver will see the Reverse Turn or Reverse Curve sign instead.
One single turn or curve is marked with a Turn or Curve sign.
Mixed Up Signs
New drivers often mix up the “Winding Road” sign with the “Slippery When Wet” sign. Make sure you can tell them apart.
What You Should Do
Start slowing down when you see the sign, and prepare to adjust speed even more before you enter a curve.
An advisory speed limit plaque may supplement the warning sign. Engineering studies determine the indicated speed, which is the recommended safe speed for the road.
However, you must always judge if the speed is appropriate for the current conditions. Rain, sleet, or snow may require you to drive even slower.
About Warning Signs
The Winding Road sign is an example of a general warning sign. Such warning signs are usually diamond-shaped and have a yellow background. When installed in work zones, similar warning signs have an orange background.
Knowing the basic shapes and background colors of road signs is essential for your driver’s license test and will help you drive safely. Recognizing road signs from a distance can also be very useful in many situations.
For official information on all U.S. traffic signs, please study the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
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