What does a FLAGGER AHEAD work zone sign tell you?
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A.
A school crossing is ahead.
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B.
The work zone has ended ahead.
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C.
Pedestrians are crossing the road ahead.
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D.
A flagger is controlling traffic ahead. Correct
The answer is "A flagger is controlling traffic ahead."
The orange FLAGGER AHEAD sign warns that a flagger is controlling traffic ahead in a work zone, using a STOP or SLOW paddle or a red flag to tell you to stop or slow down. Choice C tempts drivers thinking of the PEDESTRIAN CROSSING sign from the previous page and picture a civilian stepping into the road, but the orange color and paddle detail mark this as a worker directing traffic, not a pedestrian crossing.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. A school crossing is ahead.
School crossings are marked by the pentagon-shaped SCHOOL sign, which may be yellow or fluorescent yellow-green, not by this orange work zone diamond. This answer assumes any diamond sign showing a figure silhouette must mark a school zone, ignoring that the manual reserves the pentagon shape for the SCHOOL sign.
B. The work zone has ended ahead.
END ACTIVE WORK ZONE is a separate orange sign placed where workers stop, not at the flagger's post. This answer reads the flagger silhouette as an end-of-zone notice, treating a paddle worker as the last sign before the road returns to normal rather than the start of controlled traffic.
C. Pedestrians are crossing the road ahead.
Pedestrian crossings use the PEDESTRIAN CROSSING sign, which may be yellow or fluorescent yellow-green, not the orange work zone sign shown here. This answer carries the PEDESTRIAN CROSSING sign from the previous page over to the orange work zone series, picturing a civilian in the crosswalk rather than a worker with a paddle.
This question tests your knowledge of Construction Signs in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Work Zone Signs (Work Area and Construction Zone Signs) - Flagger Ahead (Road Construction Ahead)," p.18..
Related Pennsylvania questions
- In a work zone, what does a flagger use to signal drivers to stop or slow down? →
- You approach a flagger in a work zone whose signal conflicts with a nearby traffic sign. Whose direction must you follow? →
- You are pulled over for a traffic violation in a work zone, and your vehicle's headlights are not turned on. What extra penalty does the manual say applies? →
- The manual says fines are doubled in active work zones for certain violations. Which violation does it specifically name? →
- What is the minimum distance ahead of a work zone that warning signs, advance warning vehicles, or variable message boards may be placed? →
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