If an officer is directing traffic at a working traffic light, drivers should:
- Follow the directions indicated by the traffic light.
- Follow the directions given by the officer. ✓
- Honk at the officer.
- Check to see what the cars next to them are doing.
Answer: B. Follow the directions given by the officer.
Follow the directions given by the officer when an officer is directing traffic at a working traffic light.
Why this is the answer
The Texas handbook says traffic signals help move traffic in an orderly way, but drivers must obey those signals except when a law enforcement officer is directing traffic. It adds that you must obey an officer directing traffic at all times, even if the officer tells you to do something that would normally be against the law. That makes the officer’s directions the controlling instruction in this situation, not the red, yellow, or green light.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Follow the directions indicated by the traffic light. — The light is not controlling when an officer is actively directing traffic, so following it can mean disobeying the officer.
- C. Honk at the officer. — Honking is not a direction from the officer, and the handbook gives no instruction to honk in this situation.
- D. Check to see what the cars next to them are doing. — Watching nearby cars does not tell you what the officer is directing you to do, and the handbook says to obey the officer.
Remember it
Picture the officer as the live signal for that intersection.
Official handbook: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Chapter 4: Right-of-Way , p. 25