Driver's License Test Prep
New York Practice Right of Way

You reach an intersection with no signs or signals at the same time as another vehicle approaching from your right. Under the manual, who must yield?

  1. A.
    Neither driver has the right of way; both must stop and wave one another through before proceeding.
  2. B.
    Whichever driver is going straight has priority over a turning driver.
  3. C.
    The driver on the left must yield to the driver on the right. Correct
  4. D.
    Whichever driver arrived at the intersection first can proceed first.
The Why

The answer is "The driver on the left must yield to the driver on the right."

When two drivers reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same time at right angles, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Readers who pick D carry over the four-way STOP habit of first-come, first-served, and apply it here even though the prompt says both vehicles arrived together.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Neither driver has the right of way; both must stop and wave one another through before proceeding.

The manual resolves the tie by giving priority to the driver on the right, not by leaving the drivers to negotiate. This answer treats the defensive-driving courtesy of waving another driver through as if the manual left the tie unresolved.

B. Whichever driver is going straight has priority over a turning driver.

Direction of travel matters at yield signs and unprotected lefts, not at simultaneous arrivals to an uncontrolled intersection. This answer borrows the priority pattern from an unprotected left turn and applies it where position, not direction of travel, settles the tie.

D. Whichever driver arrived at the intersection first can proceed first.

The prompt asks what happens when two drivers arrive at the same time, so an arrival-order tie-break does not apply. This answer falls back on the first-come, first-served rule that governs four-way STOPs when arrivals are staggered.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Right of Way in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "Chapter 5 / Intersections and Turns: Right-of-Way," p.34..

More from this topic

Related New York questions

More than a book

You just took one New York question apart. The book does it for the whole test.

The New York 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.

Get the book on Amazon

$18.99 paperback, free companion included.

Free study plan

Your free New York study plan

A short run of study emails for the New York DMV test: what to drill, the rules people trip on, and a final pre-test checklist. The printable cheat sheet is free to grab either way.

One email a few times a month. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.