You are walking along a rural road with no sidewalk. Which side should you walk on?
-
A.
Either side, whichever has less traffic
-
B.
The left side, facing traffic Correct
-
C.
The center of the paved shoulder
-
D.
The right side, moving with traffic
The answer is "The left side, facing traffic"
You walk on the left side of the road facing traffic so you can see approaching cars and step off the pavement if a driver drifts wide. The 'right side, moving with traffic' trap is the bicycling rule flipped onto pedestrians, and readers who ride a bike or share a house with a cyclist swap the two rules.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Either side, whichever has less traffic
The manual sets a fixed side for pedestrian travel and does not leave the choice to traffic volume. This answer treats the walking side as a comfort preference rather than a safety rule, a habit built from short trips on quiet streets.
C. The center of the paved shoulder
The manual names a side of the road, not a position within the shoulder, and does not allow travel down the middle of it. This answer reads the shoulder as a neutral lane for either direction, borrowing a habit from wide rural shoulders that the rule does not sanction.
D. The right side, moving with traffic
Pedestrians walk against traffic so they can see what is coming; only bicyclists ride with traffic. This answer flips the bicycling rule onto pedestrians, since a cyclist in the household rides with traffic and the two rules trade places in memory.
This question tests your knowledge of Sharing the Road in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "You as a Pedestrian," p.91..
Related North Carolina questions
- A school bus stops on a two-lane road to pick up children. What must other traffic do? →
- By North Carolina law, a moped's top speed may not exceed: →
- What is the minimum age to operate a moped on a public roadway in North Carolina? →
- You are following a tractor-trailer and want to pass. What does the manual say to do first? →
- A farm tractor ahead of you signals a left turn. What should you conclude? →
You just took one North Carolina question apart. The book does it for the whole test.
The North Carolina 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.
Paperback, free companion included.