You have stopped at an intersection because the traffic light is out of service. Under the manual, what is the only thing that lets you proceed without going through the right-of-way rules?
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A.
Ten seconds pass with no cross traffic
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B.
Your side of the intersection is empty
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C.
A traffic officer tells you to continue Correct
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D.
The vehicle in front of you begins to move
The answer is "A traffic officer tells you to continue"
When a traffic light is out of service, the manual sends you into the right-of-way rules unless a traffic officer waves you through. Choice D is the trap: drivers used to following the car ahead assume that once traffic starts flowing they can flow with it, but the manual gives no such carve-out and names the officer as the one exception.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Ten seconds pass with no cross traffic
A self-timed wait is not the exception the manual names, so you still must apply the right-of-way rules unless a traffic officer directs you. This answer trusts a self-imposed count as a substitute for the right-of-way procedure, a habit the manual never authorizes at an out-of-service light.
B. Your side of the intersection is empty
An empty intersection does not remove the requirement to apply the right-of-way rules. This answer reads a clear stretch of pavement as if it functioned as a green light, a shortcut the manual never sanctions in place of the right-of-way analysis.
D. The vehicle in front of you begins to move
The manual does not treat the vehicle ahead of you as an exception to the right-of-way rules at a dark light. This answer extends the everyday habit of following the car ahead through a queue, treating movement in the lane as if it replaced the right-of-way analysis the manual actually requires.
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
- A traffic light is completely dark and out of service as you approach the intersection. What does state law require you to do? →
- You have stopped at an intersection where the traffic light is dark and out of service. Once stopped, how do you decide when to move? →
- A white stop line is painted across your lane at a red traffic light. Where must you bring your vehicle to a stop? →
- Aside from a light, sign, or officer requiring it, when else does the manual say you must stop at a stop line or crosswalk? →
- A white arrow is painted on the pavement in your lane at an approaching intersection. What does the arrow tell you? →
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