Signs, signals and pavement markings
You enter a work zone marked with orange signs, but no special work area speed limit is posted. What must you do?
- Drive through the work zone at a reduced speed and always obey the flag persons. Correct answer
- Keep to the normal speed limit, since no work area limit has been posted.
- Reduce your speed only at the moments when you can see workers on the road.
Why
Work area signs are orange with black lettering and tell you that people are working on or near the roadway, where traffic may be directed by a flag person. A lower work area limit can be posted, down to as little as 25 mph. The point of this question is what happens when no such limit is posted: you still have to slow down, and the obligation covers the whole work zone, not only the stretch where workers happen to be visible. Keeping the normal limit because no sign shows a number is the mistake the rule is written against. Whatever the speed, the signals of a flag person must always be obeyed; the manual shows several of them and asks you to know them.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is Drive through the work zone at a reduced speed and always obey the flag persons.
More on signs, signals and pavement markings
- You approach an intersection where the traffic lights are not working, and no traffic officer is directing traffic. What does state law require?
- You are driving in New York City and stop at a steady red light. No sign about turning on red is posted. May you turn right?
- Outside New York City, you are stopped at a steady red light on a one-way road and want to turn left onto another one-way road. No sign or marking prohibits the turn. What may you do?
- A school bus with students on board is stopped at a steady red light outside New York City. No NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. May the bus driver turn right on the red light?