Your signal is green but traffic ahead is stopped inside the intersection. What should you do?
-
A.
Pull past the crosswalk into the intersection so you keep your place at the light.
-
B.
Enter and inch forward until the vehicles ahead begin moving again.
-
C.
Wait until you can cross the intersection completely before entering. Correct
The answer is "Wait until you can cross the intersection completely before entering."
Do not enter the intersection on a green light if you cannot get completely across before the light turns red; that is what keeps cross traffic clear when the signal changes. Drivers who read green as a command to advance no matter what pick option A, pulling past the crosswalk to hold a spot the manual never sanctions.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Pull past the crosswalk into the intersection so you keep your place at the light.
Pulling past the crosswalk puts the car inside the intersection, which the manual bars when you cannot get all the way across before the light turns red. Treats the green signal as an unconditional command to advance, ignoring the caveat that GO applies only when there is space to clear the intersection first.
B. Enter and inch forward until the vehicles ahead begin moving again.
Inching into the intersection blocks cross traffic once the signal changes, which is exactly what the rule against entering a blocked intersection prevents. Assumes stop-and-go traffic will let the vehicles ahead clear before the light cycles, a habit the manual never sanctions at a traffic light.
This question tests your knowledge of Traffic Lights in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Traffic Signals: Solid Green Light," p.34..
Related California questions
- A steady red traffic light means you must: →
- What must you do at a flashing yellow traffic light? →
- A green arrow at a traffic light allows you to: →
- At an intersection without a dedicated right-turn lane, you want to turn right at a red light. You may do so only when: →
- You are stopped at a red arrow signal wanting to turn. When may you make the turn? →
You just took one California question apart. The book does it for the whole test.
The California book unlocks a free companion: an adaptive study plan, progress synced across your devices, a denser laminate cheat sheet, and a test-day walkthrough. Verify your copy once, usually in seconds; there's nothing extra to buy.
$18.99 paperback, free companion included.