New York DMV Permit Written TestRoad SignsMedium

You are driving on a two-lane road and see a diamond-shaped yellow sign with a black symbol depicting a truck descending a steep slope. Below the truck symbol, it says '7% GRADE'. What does this sign indicate?

  1. AA truck stop is located 7 miles ahead on a steep incline.
  2. BThere is a 7-mile section of rough road ahead, suitable only for trucks.
  3. CThis road is restricted to vehicles with a maximum weight of 7 tons.
  4. DThe road ahead has a steep downgrade of 7 percent, requiring caution and possibly a lower gear.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. The road ahead has a steep downgrade of 7 percent, requiring caution and possibly a lower gear.

A diamond-shaped yellow sign with a truck on a downward slope and a percentage indicates a steep downgrade. '7% GRADE' means the road drops 7 feet for every 100 feet traveled horizontally, signifying a significant slope that requires drivers, especially truck drivers, to use caution and potentially a lower gear to control speed.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Truck stops are indicated by blue service signs, and this sign indicates a downgrade, not an incline.
  • B. Rough road warnings have different symbols, and the '7% GRADE' refers to slope, not distance or road condition.
  • C. Weight restrictions are indicated by regulatory signs, not warning signs, and would use different text.

Steep Grade (Truck) Warning Sign

A yellow, diamond-shaped warning sign with a black symbol of a truck on a steep slope and a percentage, indicating a significant downgrade or incline that requires drivers to use caution and potentially a lower gear.

  • Diamond shape indicates warning.
  • Yellow color indicates general warning.
  • Truck on slope symbol means steep grade.
  • Percentage indicates the steepness of the grade (feet of rise/fall per 100 feet horizontal).
  • Requires drivers to control speed, possibly with lower gears.

Memory trick: Truck on a slope, percentage tells you how much to cope.

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