MUTCD W23-2 · Warning signs
New traffic pattern ahead
What it means
Warns of new traffic pattern ahead.
What to do about it
It is a work zone sign: orange means road work ahead. Slow down, leave extra space and expect sudden stops — fines are doubled in construction zones when workers are present. (MUTCD W23-2.)
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 warning signs series — the ones most easily mixed up with it.