What Does a Pennant Sign Mean?
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Quick answer
It marks the beginning of a no-passing zone.
Correct answer: No passing zone ahead
The pennant is a warning sign shaped like a horizontal triangle (a sideways isosceles triangle, point facing right). It is yellow with black letters reading NO PASSING ZONE, and it is unique because it is mounted on the left side of the road, facing the driver. It tells you that you are entering a stretch where passing is prohibited. You will usually see a solid yellow center line confirming the same thing. Because its shape and left-side placement are one of a kind, the test likes to ask about it.
Why the other answers are wrong
School zone ahead
School zones use a five-sided pentagon sign, not a pennant. The shapes are completely different, and the pennant never refers to schools.
Yield to oncoming traffic
Yield uses a downward-pointing equilateral triangle, red and white. The pennant is yellow, horizontal, and is a warning about passing, not about yielding.
Merge ahead
Merge warnings use a standard yellow diamond. The pennant is the only road sign shaped like a sideways triangle, and it always means no passing.
What the handbook says
Handbooks list the pennant under warning signs and note it is the only sign placed on the left side of the roadway, marking the start of a no-passing zone.
Memory tip
A pennant is the flag you wave at a ballgame, pointed and sideways. This flag waves "do not pass."
Related practice questions
More Road Signs questions with explanations:
- Road Signs
1. You are driving in the lane where this sign is posted. What must you do?
- Turn right; the lane is for right turns only
- Continue straight only
- Merge left immediately
- Stop and wait for a green arrow
Why: A lane-use control sign with a curved arrow and the word ONLY means every vehicle in that lane must make the indicated turn. Change lanes before the intersection if you want to go straight.
- Road Signs
2. A white rectangular sign reading a number such as 55 indicates:
- The minimum following distance
- The road's name
- The number of lanes ahead
- The maximum legal speed under ideal conditions
Why: A white regulatory speed limit sign shows the maximum speed allowed under ideal conditions. You must drive slower when weather, traffic, or road conditions require it.
- Road Signs
3. A solid yellow line on your side of the center plus a 'Do Not Pass' sign means:
- You may pass if traffic is light
- Passing is permitted at night only
- You may not pass in this zone
- You may pass only large trucks
Why: A no-passing zone, marked by a solid yellow line on your side and often a DO NOT PASS sign, prohibits passing because sight distance is limited and passing is unsafe.