An arrow panel in a work zone displays a caution pattern rather than a directional arrow. According to the manual, what does this pattern mean?
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A.
Move immediately into the far right lane.
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B.
A work area is next to the travel lane; drive with caution. Correct
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C.
The panel's bulbs have burned out.
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D.
Both lanes ahead are fully closed to traffic.
The answer is "A work area is next to the travel lane; drive with caution."
The manual says the caution display on an electric arrow panel indicates there is a work area ahead next to the travel lane, and drivers are told to drive with extra caution. Drivers who read every arrow panel as a merge instruction pick A, confusing the caution bar with the move/merge-right arrow shown right next to it in the same figure on this page.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Move immediately into the far right lane.
A directional merge would use the move/merge-right arrow shown to the left in the figure, not the caution display shown to the right. Treats every arrow panel as a merge instruction and skips the separate caution pattern printed next to the directional arrows in the same figure.
C. The panel's bulbs have burned out.
The manual lists the caution display as one of the panel's intentional messages, not a malfunction. Assumes an unfamiliar light pattern must be broken hardware rather than one of the defined messages the manual names alongside move/merge right and move/merge left.
D. Both lanes ahead are fully closed to traffic.
The caution display signals a work area next to the travel lane, not a full closure. Reads the caution pattern as the panel's most severe warning and jumps to a total road shutdown, borrowing from the LANE CLOSED AHEAD sign a page earlier rather than reading the arrow-panel entry itself.
This question tests your knowledge of Construction Signs in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Electric Arrow Panels," p.19..
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