Question

Difficulty: HardRegulatory Signs

A motorist approaching a traffic island posted with a white rectangular 'KEEP RIGHT' regulatory sign (R4-7) is legally required to pass to the right of the obstruction even if a uniformed law enforcement officer explicitly gestures for traffic to proceed to the left.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is False. Orders and signals given by a law enforcement officer take precedence over regulatory road signs and traffic control devices.
Under traffic laws worldwide, directions given by a law enforcement officer or authorized traffic controller supersede all official regulatory signs and traffic signals. Therefore, a driver directed by an officer to pass on the left of an obstruction must follow the officer's command rather than the posted 'KEEP RIGHT' regulatory sign.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the traffic control device in the scenario
The sign present is a 'KEEP RIGHT' (R4-7) white rectangular regulatory sign, which ordinarily mandates passing to the right of a median, island, or barrier.
Regulatory signs inform drivers of specific traffic laws and mandatory directions.
2
Evaluate the hierarchy of authority between official traffic signs and law enforcement directions
Directions given by authorized traffic control personnel or law enforcement officers override posted regulatory signs and automated traffic signals.
Law enforcement officers manage active hazards, construction detours, or emergency scenes where standard traffic flow rules must be altered for safety.
3
Determine the driver's legal duty
The driver must obey the officer's gesture and pass to the left of the obstruction despite the 'KEEP RIGHT' regulatory sign.
Failing to follow an officer's signal constitutes a traffic violation, regardless of what the posted sign indicates.

Key Concept

Hierarchy of Traffic Control Authority and Officer Override
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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