A traffic light is completely dark and out of service as you approach the intersection. What does state law require you to do?
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A.
Come to a stop as you would for a stop sign Correct
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B.
Slow down and proceed if no cross traffic is visible
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C.
Yield to cross traffic but do not stop
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D.
Continue at normal speed since the signal is not working
The answer is "Come to a stop as you would for a stop sign"
State law says a dark or malfunctioning signal turns the intersection into a stop-sign situation: you make a full stop before proceeding by right-of-way. Choice C is the tempting error: a driver who remembers flashing-yellow behavior treats a dead signal the same way and only yields.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Slow down and proceed if no cross traffic is visible
Slowing without stopping violates the dead-signal rule. This answer applies a yield-style habit to a signal the law treats as a stop sign.
C. Yield to cross traffic but do not stop
Yielding without stopping falls short of the required full stop. This answer reads a dead signal as a flashing yellow, where slowing and yielding would be enough.
D. Continue at normal speed since the signal is not working
Continuing at speed through an unlit signal ignores the rule entirely. This answer assumes a dead signal has no legal effect, when the law converts it into a stop-controlled intersection.
This question tests your knowledge of Traffic Lights in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "TRAFFIC SIGNALS: Traffic Lights," p.30..
Related New York questions
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