Practice question

What is the procedure to release traffic at night?

  1. Lower your flashlight to your side and motion drivers ahead with a slow, sweeping motion.
  2. Jump to the other lane to stop traffic.
  3. Wave both hands upward to stop traffic.
  4. Turn off your flashlight and ignore drivers.

Answer: A — Lower your flashlight to your side and motion drivers ahead with a slow, sweeping motion.

When releasing traffic at night, you rely on a clear, visible signal using your flashlight. Lowering the flashlight to your side keeps the light from blinding drivers while still giving a confident, readable cue, and a slow, sweeping motion tells approaching drivers to proceed. This method ensures your instruction is easy to understand and time is given for drivers to react safely. Other actions are unsafe or unsupported: jumping into another lane to stop traffic creates a dangerous situation and is not how you direct vehicles; waving upward with both hands isn’t the standard go signal and can be misread; turning off the flashlight and ignoring drivers leaves them without guidance, increasing the risk in the work zone.

Practice more: FDOT Flagging and Traffic Control Safety Training Practice Test →