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
Correct answer: You keep an eye on him, but you need not follow them
Explanation
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
- Wrong: a vest makes someone recognisable, but not authorised. You only follow instructions from someone who is authorised AND recognisable; a random bystander stays unauthorised, even wearing a vest.
- Wrong: 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.
Topic: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
Read the rule: Core: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
Sections
- Challenge: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
- The model: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
- Core: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
- Why it matters: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
- Active recall: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
- Teach back: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank
- Memory hook: Instructions from competent persons: who, and what rank