Stay alert as you drive, watching the sides of the road to see all highway signs that alert you to upcoming road conditions. Generally, motorists will see warning signs with enough time to register seeing the sign and prepare for the change in highway layout.
Expect to see a median begin between oncoming traffic within less than a minute after seeing a divided highway sign. The median may be thin, wide or begin thin and gradually widen to separate the oncoming traffic significantly.
Adjust your speed according to posted speed limits. Often, because divided highways are safer than two-way highways, the posted speed limit will increase when a highway changes from a two-way highway to a divided highway.
Watch for additional signs to alert you to upcoming highway situations. You may see signs alerting you to intersections or merging traffic. You may also see signs to increase or decrease speed limit. Stay especially vigilant to notice a sign that changes a divided highway to a two-way highway. In this situation, the median will discontinue and oncoming traffic will meet without a center median separating it.
