Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Defensive Driving

You need to turn across light rail tracks at an intersection. When may you complete the turn?

  1. A.
    As soon as the light rail vehicle has passed
  2. B.
    Only after the traffic light indicates you may proceed Correct
  3. C.
    Whenever cross traffic gives you an opening
The Why

The answer is "Only after the traffic light indicates you may proceed"

The manual says to complete your turn across light rail tracks only when the traffic light indicates you may proceed. Choice A tempts drivers who trust their own read of when the light rail vehicle has cleared, when the manual anchors the go-ahead to the signal itself and not to a visual gap.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. As soon as the light rail vehicle has passed

The manual anchors the go-ahead to the traffic light, not to a visual read of when the light rail vehicle has cleared. This answer trusts a visual clearance check drivers use at crossings with no signal, when the manual specifically ties this turn to the traffic light.

C. Whenever cross traffic gives you an opening

A gap in cross traffic is not the trigger the manual uses; the traffic light is. This answer confuses the general gap-in-traffic habit from uncontrolled intersections with the specific light rail rule that hinges on the signal.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Light Rail Vehicles," p.44..

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