The Keep Right Sign: Stay to the Right of the Obstacle
A keep right sign means you must drive to the right of the median, traffic island or obstacle ahead, not to its left. It marks the start of a raised divider or barrier, so going left would put you into oncoming traffic or into the obstacle. The white rectangle shows a black arrow curving around the right side of an island symbol.
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Keep right sign quiz: 3 test-style questions
- A white sign shows a black arrow passing to the right of a black island shape. It means: Keep right of the median or obstacle ahead / Right lane ends / Merge right / Right turn only. Answer: Keep right of the median or obstacle ahead. This is the KEEP RIGHT sign: pass to the right of the island, median or obstacle.
- Where is a KEEP RIGHT sign typically placed? At the end of a freeway exit ramp / On a railroad crossing gate / At the start of a raised median or traffic island / On a school bus stop arm. Answer: At the start of a raised median or traffic island. It is mounted on the approach end of medians, islands, bridge piers and other obstructions in the road.
- What category of sign is KEEP RIGHT? Warning / Guide / Service / Regulatory. Answer: Regulatory. KEEP RIGHT is regulatory: it is a legal requirement, which is why it is black and white rather than yellow.
What the keep right sign means
The KEEP RIGHT sign (MUTCD R4-7) is a regulatory sign: a vertical white rectangle with a black symbol of an island or median and an arrow curving around its right side. Word versions read KEEP RIGHT. It requires you to pass to the right of the object it is mounted on or in front of.
Because it is regulatory, it is not a suggestion. Passing on the left of a median would usually put you in lanes reserved for oncoming traffic, and passing on the left of a bridge pier or island could mean hitting it. The opposite sign, KEEP LEFT (R4-8), is less common and is used where traffic must pass on the left, for example at some ramp gores or one-way roadways.
What to do
- Stay in a lane to the right of the median or island as it begins.
- Slow down if the lane shifts or narrows around the obstacle, and watch for yellow-and-black object markers or reflectors on its nose.
- When turning left at the end of a median, go around its nose; do not cut across to the left side early.
- At night or in fog, look for the retroreflective sign and markers: islands are hard to see in low light.
Common mistakes and test traps
- Keep right is not a merge. A merge sign is a yellow diamond warning that lanes join; keep right is a black-and-white rule about passing an obstacle.
- Keep right is not "right lane only." You may use any lane on the right side of the divider.
- Divided highway sign. The yellow divided highway warning tells you a median is coming; the keep right sign is placed on the median itself.
- Slower traffic keep right. On multilane roads, a different sign (SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT) asks slower drivers to use the right lane. It is related in spirit, but it is about lane choice, not an obstacle.
Where you see it
You find KEEP RIGHT signs at the beginning of raised or landscaped medians on boulevards, on traffic islands at intersections and roundabout approaches, on bridge piers and columns in the middle of the road, at toll plaza islands and on temporary barriers in work zones. They are often mounted low on the nose of the island so headlights hit them.
Related signs to know
Learn it with the divided highway sign, the do not pass sign and the one way sign. Lane lines and edge colors are in the pavement markings guide, and every sign is in the road signs guide.
Keep right sign FAQ
What does a keep right sign mean?
You must drive to the right of the median, island or obstacle the sign is placed on. Passing on the left is prohibited.
Is keep right a warning or a regulatory sign?
Regulatory. It is a legal requirement, shown in black and white. Yellow signs are warnings.
What is the difference between keep right and divided highway?
DIVIDED HIGHWAY is a yellow warning that a median begins ahead. KEEP RIGHT is a regulatory sign on the median itself telling you which side to pass.
Is there a keep left sign?
Yes, KEEP LEFT (R4-8) exists but is rarer. It is used where traffic must pass on the left of an obstacle, for example at some ramp splits.
Official sources
Keep studying
- Divided highway sign
- Do not pass sign
- Merge sign
- Pavement markings guide
- All US road signs
- Practice tests by topic