MUTCD R4-8c · Regulatory signs
Directs traffic to keep to the left of an obstacle or median
What it means
Directs traffic to keep to the left of an obstacle or median.
What to do about it
It is a regulatory sign: it states a law you must obey, not a suggestion. Ignoring it is a citable violation. (MUTCD R4-8c.)
Practice this on the real test format
Signs are the part of the DMV written test people fail on, because reading them is a skill rather than a fact to memorize. Aprobify drills all 1034 of them, and tells you why each answer is what it is.
Get the appSign designations follow the MUTCD and the California MUTCD published by Caltrans; meanings are checked against the California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025). Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.
Signs in the same family
These sit next to it in the regulatory signs series — the ones most easily mixed up with it.
- R4-7c Directs traffic to keep to the right of an obstacle or median
- R4-8 Directs traffic to keep to the left side
- R4-8a Alternative version directing traffic to keep to the left side
- R4-8b Another version directing traffic to keep to the left side
- R4-9 Requires vehicles to remain in their designated lane
- R4-9a Requires vehicles to stay in lane until reaching the merge point
