A flashing yellow left-turn arrow appears at the intersection. What are you permitted to do?
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A.
Wait for a solid green arrow before turning.
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B.
Stop and treat the arrow like a red arrow.
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C.
Turn left without yielding, since the signal is not red.
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D.
Turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Correct
The answer is "Turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians."
A flashing yellow arrow is a permissive turn; you may go once oncoming traffic and pedestrians clear. A is the trap for drivers who learned only protected left turns and assume any left turn needs a solid green arrow to authorize it.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Wait for a solid green arrow before turning.
A solid green arrow is a protected turn; a flashing yellow already grants a permissive one. This answer requires a protected arrow first, a habit built on lights that offer no permissive phase.
B. Stop and treat the arrow like a red arrow.
A flashing yellow arrow permits the turn after yielding; it does not act as a red. This answer confuses the flashing yellow arrow with the steady red arrow that bars the movement.
C. Turn left without yielding, since the signal is not red.
The flashing yellow arrow permits the turn only after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. This answer reads a non-red light as full priority and drops the yield step the manual attaches to it.
This question tests your knowledge of Traffic Lights in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Traffic Signals - Arrows," p.78..
Related Illinois questions
- At a steady red light with no marked stop line and no crosswalk, where must you stop? →
- What does a steady yellow traffic light mean? →
- A flashing yellow light at an intersection tells you to do what? →
- You approach a steady red light and plan to turn right. What is required? →
- In which situation does Illinois allow a left turn on a steady red light? →
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