What standard is used for highway safety signs, including their color and meaning?

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is the key standard that governs highway safety signs, including their colors, meanings, and designs. The MUTCD provides a comprehensive framework to ensure consistency and clarity across all roadways in the United States. This consistency helps drivers quickly understand traffic signs, signals, and markings, which ultimately enhances road safety for both motorists and pedestrians.

The guidelines set forth by the MUTCD dictate specific colors for different types of signs—such as stop signs being red and yield signs being yellow—along with their appropriate shapes and sizes. This uniformity is crucial for effective communication on the road, as it allows drivers to recognize essential traffic information quickly and accurately.

Other options, while they may sound relevant, do not serve the same purpose or authority as the MUTCD. For instance, the FHWA Standard and Federal Highway Standard are often used interchangeably with MUTCD but are not formal designations for the signage. The Safety Code Standard is too vague and does not specifically reference the uniform criteria for traffic control devices as outlined in the MUTCD.