Double Arrow Sign: Meaning and What to Do
The yellow diamond with two arrows pointing down to the left and down to the right warns of an obstruction directly ahead in the roadway, such as a bridge pier, a median island, or a traffic signal pole, and tells you that traffic may pass on either side of it.
Double Arrow Sign
The sign is mounted on or just in front of the obstruction itself, so it is often the last thing you see before the object. Unlike Keep Right or Keep Left, which command a side, the double arrow leaves the choice to you and simply says there is something in the middle.
What to do when you see the double arrow sign
Pick a side early, based on your lane and where you are going, and stay in that lane past the obstruction. Slow if the gap is narrow or if you cannot see which side other traffic is taking. Never straddle the center; the sign marks something solid.
The signs it is confused with
Tests contrast it with the white Keep Right and Keep Left regulatory signs, which permit only one side, and with the Divided Highway warning, which describes a median that begins ahead rather than a single object. Two arrows means either side.
Signs are one topic of ten on every test
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Choose your stateQuestions about the double arrow sign
What does the double arrow sign mean?
There is an obstruction directly ahead in the road, and you may pass it on either side. Choose a side and stay in your lane.
Where is it mounted?
On the obstruction itself or immediately in front of it, typically on a bridge pier, island nose, or signal pole in the roadway.
How is it different from keep right?
Keep Right requires you to pass on the right. The double arrow allows either side. One commands; the other informs.
Which side should I take?
The one that matches your lane and destination. Decide early so you are not changing lanes beside the obstruction.
How does this sign appear on the written test?
As a meaning question about obstructions in the road, with Keep Right and Divided Highway as the usual distractors.