You approach a flagger in a work zone whose signal conflicts with a nearby traffic sign. Whose direction must you follow?
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A.
The posted traffic sign, which always takes priority.
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B.
The flagger, whose authority overrides posted signs. Correct
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C.
Whichever direction keeps traffic moving forward.
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D.
The nearest police officer at the scene.
The answer is "The flagger, whose authority overrides posted signs."
Flagger authority overrides conventional traffic control devices, so inside a work zone you follow the flagger's signal even when a posted sign says otherwise. Choice A tempts drivers who treat a permanent posted sign as the final word, but the flagger is directing around live conditions the sign was not posted for.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. The posted traffic sign, which always takes priority.
Standard signs yield to flaggers inside a work zone, not the other way around. This answer applies the everyday habit of trusting a permanent posted sign as the final authority and misses the flagger bullet the manual adds for work zones.
C. Whichever direction keeps traffic moving forward.
Drivers do not choose between conflicting signals based on traffic flow; the manual sets a specific hierarchy that puts the flagger on top. This answer substitutes the common rule of thumb about keeping traffic moving for the ranked authority the manual actually spells out.
D. The nearest police officer at the scene.
A police officer merely being nearby is not the conflict described here; when a flagger's signal conflicts with a posted sign, the manual says to obey the flagger. This answer reaches for the familiar rule that an officer actively directing traffic overrides signs, even though the question describes only a passive police presence.
This question tests your knowledge of Construction Signs in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Work Zones," p.54..
Related Pennsylvania questions
- What does a FLAGGER AHEAD work zone sign tell you? →
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