Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Construction Signs

In an Oregon work zone, what do the orange signs do?

  1. A.
    End the work zone's reduced speed limit at that point.
  2. B.
    Direct drivers when to stop, slow, or change direction.
  3. C.
    Warn drivers what to expect ahead in the work zone. Correct
  4. D.
    Guide drivers away from the construction area itself.
The Why

The answer is "Warn drivers what to expect ahead in the work zone."

In a work zone, orange signs warn you what to expect ahead, like a lane closure, a flagger station, or reduced speeds. They are warnings, not traffic-control commands. Different work-zone tools have different jobs: orange cones guide you away from the construction itself, flaggers (or automated flagger devices) tell you when to stop, slow, or change direction, and an End Work Zone Speed Limit sign marks where the reduced speed lifts. Drivers who reach for B lump the sign and the flagger into one orange authority because both wear the color and both appear in the same zone, but stop-slow-go commands come from the flagger, not the warning sign.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. End the work zone's reduced speed limit at that point.

The reduced speed limit ends at an End Work Zone Speed Limit sign or another posted speed limit sign, not at general orange warning signs. This answer assumes the temporary limit lifts as soon as workers or orange signs are no longer visible, rather than waiting for the specific End Work Zone Speed Limit sign that ends it.

B. Direct drivers when to stop, slow, or change direction.

Stop, slow, or change-direction instructions come from flaggers or automated flagger devices, not from orange warning signs. This answer rolls the sign and the flagger into one orange authority because both carry the color and both appear in the same zone, missing that the sign warns while the flagger commands.

D. Guide drivers away from the construction area itself.

Guiding traffic away from the construction is the job of orange cones, not orange signs. Signs warn; cones channel. This answer pictures the driver following the shoulder line of cones and assumes the signs standing beside them do the same channeling work.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Construction Signs in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Work Zones," p.59..

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