Reduce speed sign
What the Reduce speed sign means: Slow down from here because of the work zone ahead.
- Group
- Roadwork signs
- Does this group carry the law
- Enforceable, and it overrides the permanent signs underneath it.
- In the sign deck
- 3 questions ask about this sign
What to do when you see it
- Slow immediately and steadily rather than braking hard at the sign.
- Look for the posted temporary limit that usually follows, and settle at it before you reach the work.
- Keep the lower speed through the whole zone, including the parts that look finished.
Where you see it
Just ahead of a temporary speed limit sign at the start of a work zone, and on high speed approaches where a large speed drop is being staged.
Across the states and territories
Staged speed reductions on the approach to a high speed work zone are standard practice across road authorities, but the number of steps and the distances between them are set by each jurisdiction's traffic management standards. Read each sign rather than assuming the next step.
Tell it apart from these
- Reduce speedthis pageEnd of speed limit
One is the start of the lower speed, the other is the end of it. Both are easy to misread at highway speed.
End of speed limit: The lower limit finishes here and the normal limit for that road applies from this point.
- Reduce speedthis pageRoadwork ahead
Roadwork ahead tells you what is coming. Reduce speed tells you to act on it now.
Roadwork ahead: Work is going on in the road ahead, so slow down and watch for changed conditions.
How the knowledge tests use it
It is used in questions about how far before a hazard you should have finished slowing, which is before it rather than at it.
What does this sign mean?
This is a warning that tells you to lose speed before you reach the changed conditions. The legal figure will be on a speed limit sign nearby.
State and territory driver handbooks, roadworks
Common questions
- What does the Reduce speed sign mean?
- Slow down from here because of the work zone ahead.
- What should you do when you see a Reduce speed sign?
- Slow immediately and steadily rather than braking hard at the sign. Look for the posted temporary limit that usually follows, and settle at it before you reach the work. Keep the lower speed through the whole zone, including the parts that look finished.
- Where is the Reduce speed sign used?
- Just ahead of a temporary speed limit sign at the start of a work zone, and on high speed approaches where a large speed drop is being staged.
- What is the Reduce speed sign confused with?
- End of speed limit: One is the start of the lower speed, the other is the end of it. Both are easy to misread at highway speed. Roadwork ahead: Roadwork ahead tells you what is coming. Reduce speed tells you to act on it now.
- How do the knowledge tests ask about the Reduce speed sign?
- It is used in questions about how far before a hazard you should have finished slowing, which is before it rather than at it.
Try it in a question
Original practice questions, not the official bank. How we write and check them.
More roadwork signs
Orange plate with a black legend or symbol.