You see a series of black-on-orange signs ahead. What does the manual tell you to do?
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A.
Come to a complete stop and wait for a flagger.
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B.
Stay alert; you are about to enter a work zone. Correct
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C.
Turn on your hazard lights until you pass the signs.
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D.
Turn around; the road is closed to through traffic.
The answer is "Stay alert; you are about to enter a work zone."
The manual pairs black-on-orange signs directly with the STAY ALERT instruction: you are about to enter a work zone and should be ready to react to unexpected conditions. Choice C is where drivers land who treat hazard flashers as a general-purpose warning for any roadside hazard, carrying over a shoulder-breakdown habit rather than approaching an active work zone with full attention.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Come to a complete stop and wait for a flagger.
Orange warning signs alone do not require a complete stop. Stay alert and be prepared to stop when directed or when traffic or conditions require it. Treats every orange sign as if it were the flagger's STOP paddle itself, collapsing the advance warning and the flagger's command into one action.
C. Turn on your hazard lights until you pass the signs.
Hazard lights signal a disabled or unusually slow vehicle; the manual does not list them as the response to a work zone advisory. Carries the shoulder-breakdown habit of flipping on flashers for any roadside warning into a situation where normal traffic flow is still expected.
D. Turn around; the road is closed to through traffic.
Black-on-orange signs identify a work zone and convey specific directions; their color alone does not mean the road is closed or that you should turn around. Reads the orange color itself as a road-closed detour cue, instead of reading the message printed on the sign the way the manual directs.
This question tests your knowledge of Construction Signs in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "Hazardous Driving - Work Zones," p.71..
Related North Carolina questions
- Which of these does the manual list as a traffic control device used in work zones? →
- According to the manual, advance work zone signs may require you to do what? →
- The manual warns that in a work zone, driving areas may be confined. What consequence does the manual name? →
- A work zone sign well ahead of the site tells drivers to merge left. When does the manual say you should act on it? →
- According to the manual, traffic control devices in a work zone are used for what purpose? →
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