The manual tells you to keep your wheels straight while waiting to turn left at an intersection. What is the reason it gives?
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A.
The steering system can lock if the wheels are turned for too long.
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B.
Being hit from behind will push you into oncoming traffic. Correct
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C.
Passing drivers behind you cannot see your turn signal past a turned wheel.
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D.
A police officer can ticket you for pre-turning your wheels before a signal.
The answer is "Being hit from behind will push you into oncoming traffic."
If the wheels are already pointed toward the oncoming lane when a rear-end impact hits, the car is pushed into oncoming traffic instead of straight ahead. Drivers who cannot recall the reason and reach for a plausible mechanical answer pick A; the manual's concern is where a hit sends the car, not steering wear.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. The steering system can lock if the wheels are turned for too long.
Modern power steering does not lock from being held off-center; the concern in the manual is the crash outcome. This answer reaches for a mechanical explanation, the go-to guess when a driver knows the rule but not why it exists.
C. Passing drivers behind you cannot see your turn signal past a turned wheel.
Turn signals sit on the front and rear of the vehicle, not on the wheel; visibility is not the reason stated. This answer pattern-matches to advice about signal visibility, without checking what part of the car the signal sits on.
D. A police officer can ticket you for pre-turning your wheels before a signal.
The manual gives a crash-safety reason, not a traffic-code reason; no offense of that kind is listed. This answer invents an enforcement basis, a common instinct when a rule of thumb is remembered without its reason.
This question tests your knowledge of Right of Way in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "Right-of-Way," p.34..
Related New York questions
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- 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? →
- You approach an intersection on a green light and see a vehicle already turning inside it. What does the manual tell you to do? →
- You have the right of way as you approach an intersection. What does the manual say to do? →
- You want to turn left. An oncoming driver reaches the intersection at about the same time and is going straight. What does the manual say to do? →
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