Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Construction Signs

What does this Flagger Ahead sign require of a driver approaching the work zone?

Orange diamond-shaped warning sign with a black border and black text reading FLAGGER AHEAD.
  1. A.
    Obey the hand signals of the flagger directing traffic ahead. Correct
  2. B.
    Follow the pavement markings through the work zone until they end.
  3. C.
    Follow the traffic light at the next intersection ahead.
  4. D.
    Merge left because a lane is closed ahead of the sign.
The Why

The answer is "Obey the hand signals of the flagger directing traffic ahead."

The sign warns that a person is directing traffic in the work zone ahead, and their hand signals govern how you move through it. The trap is the answer that keeps you obeying the next traffic light; the entry is explicit that a driver takes direction from the flagger rather than from the signal or the markings when both are present.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Follow the pavement markings through the work zone until they end.

Pavement markings do not run the work zone here; the flagger does, and instructions come from that person rather than from paint on the road. This answer treats striped paint as the controlling authority in a work zone where a person has been posted to override the usual markings.

C. Follow the traffic light at the next intersection ahead.

A signal at the next intersection does not govern this work zone; the entry says a driver takes direction from the flagger rather than from the signal. This answer defaults to the everyday habit of letting a green or red light decide when to move, missing that a flagger outranks the signal here.

D. Merge left because a lane is closed ahead of the sign.

This sign does not announce a lane closure or a required merge; it tells a driver only that a person will hand out instructions in the work zone. This answer reads a general work-zone warning as a lane-drop cue, borrowing the response learned for merge and lane-closed signs.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Construction Signs on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign W20-7a (Flagger Ahead (Word Message))..

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