Shoulder Drop-Off sign
An unprotected drop-off of more than 3 inches next to the travel lane.
What to do
Stay in your lane and avoid letting your wheels leave the pavement.
Stay well inside your lane, and if a wheel slips off, slow down before steering back so the tyre does not catch the edge.
Where it's used
Section 2C.29 says the Shoulder Drop-Off (W8-17) sign should be used where an unprotected drop-off next to the travel lane is more than 3 inches deep for a significant length. It is a black-on-yellow diamond symbol sign showing a car tilting off a raised pavement edge. A SHOULDER DROP-OFF (W8-17P) word plaque may be mounted below it.
Don't confuse it with
- Low Shoulder: LOW SHOULDER is used for a smaller drop of 3 inches or less.
- Soft Shoulder: SOFT SHOULDER warns of soft ground rather than a sharp drop.
- Type
- Warning signs
- Shape
- Diamond
- Colors
- yellow, black
- MUTCD code
- W8-17
- MUTCD section
- 2C.29
More warning signs
Turn
Curve
Reverse Turn
Reverse Curve
Winding Road
One-Direction Large Arrow
Two-Direction Large Arrow
Chevron AlignmentFrom the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th edition, section 2C.29. Sign image: public domain, source.