Regulatory signs · R4-3
Slower Traffic Keep Right sign
Archive file: R04-03 Slower Traffic Keep Right/R04-03 Slower Traffic Keep Right 24x30.svg
FHWA public-use information
What it means
Use the right lane when traveling more slowly than other traffic.
Source: FHWA MUTCD — MUTCD 11th Edition with Revision 1 (December 2025), Section 2B.38, paragraph 03, PDF page 143.
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Meaning
Slower Traffic Keep Right manages traffic moving at different speeds on a road with multiple lanes. Florida directs slower traffic to the right except while passing and requires it to leave the left lane when a faster vehicle overtakes from behind. The message concerns lane use, not permission to speed.
What to do
If you are the slower Florida driver, use the right lane unless passing. When another vehicle passes you, do not increase speed; leave the passing driver room. These instructions help manage the difference in speeds without turning the situation into a contest over the lane.
Where it is used
Federal guidance uses this sign on multilane through roads, especially near the beginning of that road type or an extra lane for slower vehicles. It advises against placement in interchange areas where vehicles enter and leave. The sign addresses through traffic flow rather than a specific ramp’s lane choice.
A sign to tell apart
Keep Right directs your path around an island or divider. Slower Traffic Keep Right assigns slower traffic to a lane on a multilane road. The similar wording hides a different task: pass an object on its right side, or choose the appropriate lane for your traffic situation.
Practice with explanations
These are original learning questions based on the cited handbooks. Read each answer and its explanation below.
1. Under Florida’s Slower Traffic Keep Right guidance, where should slower traffic travel when it is not passing?
- In the right lane.
- In the left lane to control the flow.
- In whichever lane has the smoothest surface.
Answer: A. In the right lane.
The sign directs slower traffic to the right, with an exception while passing.
2. Another vehicle is passing you in Florida. How should you handle your speed?
- Increase it to keep the other vehicle beside you.
- Do not increase it.
- Accelerate until the other driver abandons the pass.
Answer: B. Do not increase it.
Do not make a pass harder by speeding up. Florida tells the driver being passed to give the passing driver room.
State source coverage
Handbook coverage and sample questions do not prove that a sign will appear on your exam. Even a published test scope cannot guarantee an individual exam question.
Florida
Handbook coverage
Florida’s driver handbook explicitly discusses this sign. This establishes handbook coverage, without a promise about any individual exam.
State variations
State-specific variations have not been independently established for this study.
Verified question coverage
These free state-bank questions were independently verified. This does not establish complete state-bank readiness, app availability or what will appear on your permit exam.
California
1 free question uses this sign in Steerlet's verified question data.
California permit sources · General California permit practice (does not include this sign)
The linked 20-question permit quizzes do not currently include this sign.
This meaning is a federal MUTCD reference. Check your state's handbook for its rules and sign coverage; this page does not establish what appears on a state permit exam.
Try the free road sign quiz or find your state's handbook.