Work zone signs mean:
- It is summer.
- You must immediately stop and back up.
- Less than ideal conditions are present for driving. ✓
- You should drive faster to get out of the work zone.
Answer: C. Less than ideal conditions are present for driving.
Work zone signs warn you that less than ideal conditions are present for driving, since construction and maintenance work creates unusual or potentially dangerous conditions in or near the zone.
Why this is the answer
The handbook explains that construction and maintenance signs exist to alert drivers to unusual or potentially dangerous conditions in or near work zones, and that barricades, cones, drums and similar devices warn of those conditions while guiding drivers safely through. Because the zone is set apart from normal driving conditions, the sign is a warning to adjust how you drive. The handbook's response is to slow down, be ready to change lanes when safe, and keep a reduced speed until you clear the zone.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. It is summer. — The season has nothing to do with it; the signs mark construction and maintenance activity, which can happen in any month.
- B. You must immediately stop and back up. — Nothing in the handbook tells you to stop and reverse at a work zone sign; the guidance is to slow down and prepare to change lanes when it is safe.
- D. You should drive faster to get out of the work zone. — Speeding up is the opposite of what the handbook says, which is to maintain a reduced speed until you clear the construction zone.
Remember it
Diamond-shaped signs in a work zone are warnings, not invitations. Ease off the gas and read the zone before you do anything else.