If a careless driver does not obey your commands, what should you do?

• A. Stop the vehicle yourself.
• B. Warn the work crew but do nothing else.
• C. Try to get the license number of the vehicle and warn the work crew if necessary.
• D. Ignore the situation and continue directing traffic.

Answer: (C)

When a driver does not follow your commands, safety means staying out of the driver’s path and getting information to authorities while quickly communicating the risk to your crew. The right response is to try to get the license plate number (and a quick description of the vehicle if possible) and then warn the work crew so they can take appropriate precautions or pause work if needed. This approach helps identify the offender and keeps everyone at the site safer by escalating the situation through the proper channel, rather than trying to stop the vehicle yourself or ignoring it.

Stopping the vehicle yourself is dangerous and not your role as a flagger. Merely warning the crew without reporting leaves the incident unaddressed, and ignoring the situation can lead to more harm. If you can safely obtain identifying information and inform the crew or supervisor, you’re using the correct, safety-focused action.