Driver's License Test Prep
Florida Practice Traffic Lights

You approach an intersection with a steady red traffic light and intend to go straight through. What must you do?

  1. A.
    Slow to about 5 MPH and roll through if the way looks clear.
  2. B.
    Stop only if another car or pedestrian is already in the intersection.
  3. C.
    Come to a complete stop at the stop line and remain stopped until the light turns green. Correct
  4. D.
    Yield to cross traffic and continue through without stopping.
The Why

The answer is "Come to a complete stop at the stop line and remain stopped until the light turns green."

Because your path is straight ahead, the manual's Red Light rule applies plainly: come to a complete stop at the stop line and stay stopped until the light turns green. The permitted right on red, and the left from a one-way onto a one-way that flows left, are separate exceptions that do not apply to a driver going straight. Drivers who lean on the rolling-stop habit from a quiet stop sign, easing to about 5 MPH before gliding through when the way looks clear, are the ones who pick A.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Slow to about 5 MPH and roll through if the way looks clear.

A red light demands a complete stop at the stop line, not a rolling approach at reduced speed. Applies the rolling-stop habit some drivers use at quiet stop signs to an intersection with a traffic light, where the manual requires a full stop.

B. Stop only if another car or pedestrian is already in the intersection.

Every driver must stop at a red light whether or not anyone else is present; the presence of cross traffic is not the trigger. Treats a steady red like a yield sign, where stopping is required only when cross traffic or a pedestrian is already there.

D. Yield to cross traffic and continue through without stopping.

A steady red is not a yield; you must stop at the line first, and going straight you may proceed only when the light turns green. Carries over the flashing-yellow rule, treating cautious yielding as a substitute for the complete stop a steady red requires.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Traffic Lights in Florida. Source: Florida Driver Manual, "Traffic Signals: Steady Signal Lights, Red Light," p.51..

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