Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Traffic Lights

At an intersection without a dedicated right-turn lane, you want to turn right at a red light. You may do so only when:

  1. A.
    Your right-turn signal has been on for at least five seconds.
  2. B.
    There is no NO TURN ON RED sign posted, you have come to a complete stop, and it is safe to turn. Correct
  3. C.
    Cross traffic on the intersecting road has come to a full stop.
The Why

The answer is "There is no NO TURN ON RED sign posted, you have come to a complete stop, and it is safe to turn."

You may turn right at a red light after a complete stop, only where no NO TURN ON RED sign is posted, and only when the turn is safe. Choice C imports the four-way-stop "first stopped, first to go" rule of thumb, when the actual permission turns on the driver's own stop and the absence of the posted sign, not on what cross traffic is doing.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Your right-turn signal has been on for at least five seconds.

The manual sets no minimum signal duration for a right turn on red; the required conditions are a complete stop, no NO TURN ON RED sign, and a safe gap. Carries a freeway lane-change habit of holding a signal for five seconds over to a red-light right turn the manual never puts a clock on.

C. Cross traffic on the intersecting road has come to a full stop.

The permission turns on the driver's own complete stop and the absence of a NO TURN ON RED sign, not on what cross traffic is doing; you then yield and turn when safe. Applies the four-way-stop 'first stopped, first to go' rule of thumb at a traffic light, where the signal and the posted signage govern instead.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Traffic Lights in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Turns: Right Turn Against a Red Light," p.18..

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