Flagger, Cones, and the Old White Line
At 10:20 a.m. on a Tuesday, you are northbound on a two-lane road approaching a utility work zone. An orange ROAD WORK AHEAD sign is followed by a LANE CLOSED AHEAD sign with a right arrow. Cones taper your lane toward the center. The old white edge line is still visible, but the travel lane has been shifted left, and a temporary yellow center line now runs beside the cones. A worker in a high-visibility vest is standing near the cones. A flagger ahead holds a SLOW paddle and is facing you. A homeowner is backing a car out of a driveway inside the coned area. You are late for an appointment, and the driver behind you is close. You must decide what the flagger's paddle requires, which line to follow, and whether to use the driveway to turn around.
1. The flagger displays SLOW rather than STOP. What does that require, and does it override the orange signs?
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SLOW means proceed at a reduced speed, with heightened caution, and be ready to stop. It does not mean proceed at normal speed. The flagger's direction controls your movement through the work zone, but the orange signs and cones still define the path, and the worker near the cones and the homeowner's car are hazards the flagger may not be able to control. If the path is not clearly clear, stop and wait. Never drive past a flagger who is still facing you with a paddle displayed unless the paddle and gesture clearly authorize you to proceed.
2. Temporary yellow line versus old white line: which do you follow, and why?
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Follow the temporary markings and the cone taper, not the old white edge line. The old line may still be visible, but it no longer defines the travel path; the temporary yellow line and cones were placed for the work zone. Drifting toward the old line would move you toward the workers and the closed area. Keep your speed low and your lane position centered between the temporary markings.
3. Can you use the homeowner's driveway to turn around and avoid the delay?
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No. Using a private driveway to turn around inside a coned work zone is unpredictable: the homeowner may not see you, the flagger is not controlling that movement, and backing out can put you into the work area. Continue through the zone at the flagger's direction. If you must change route, do it after the work zone using a legal intersection or signed detour. Being late does not justify a maneuver that others are not expecting.