In a tailback on a provincial road near Zwolle a motorist gets out of his car. In ordinary clothes he stands beside the road and waves his arms to direct the traffic. What do you do with his signals?
- You only follow them once he puts on a yellow vest
- You follow them, because he is clearly directing traffic
- You keep an eye on him, but you need not follow them
Show the answer
Correct answer: You keep an eye on him, but you need not follow them
False — you confuse confident behaviour with authority. Only persons who are authorised AND recognisable as such, like police, marechaussee, customs and authorised traffic controllers, give instructions you must follow.
Why learners get this wrong: A bystander who puts on a yellow vest and directs traffic must be followed; the vest makes him a traffic controller.