You're approaching an Oregon intersection, intending to drive straight through, and the traffic light is showing a steady circular red. What must you do?
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A.
Stop only if other vehicles are present.
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B.
Stop, then proceed when traffic is clear.
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C.
Stop and remain stopped until the signal changes. Correct
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D.
Slow down and proceed with caution.
The answer is "Stop and remain stopped until the signal changes."
A steady red signal means stop and remain stopped until the signal changes. Going straight on a red is never allowed in Oregon; the on-red exception covers turns only, after a complete stop, unless a sign or officer states otherwise. Drivers who pick D are reaching for the flashing-yellow rule that sits on the very next page of the manual and applying it to a lit steady red.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Stop only if other vehicles are present.
A steady red requires you to stop and stay stopped regardless of whether other traffic is visible. This answer treats stopping at a red as a courtesy owed only to visible traffic, the way some drivers handle empty-intersection stop signs late at night.
B. Stop, then proceed when traffic is clear.
A steady red requires you to remain stopped until the signal changes, not just until cross traffic clears; that stop-and-go rule is reserved for a flashing red or a dark signal. This answer falls back on the four-way stop habit, rolling through the intersection once no one is coming instead of waiting for the light to change.
D. Slow down and proceed with caution.
That is the rule for a flashing yellow signal, not a steady red. This answer carries the flashing-yellow rule from the next page of the manual over to a steady red.
This question tests your knowledge of Traffic Lights in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Traffic Signals," p.15..
Related Oregon questions
- An Oregon traffic light is flashing red. How should you treat it? →
- You're approaching an Oregon intersection when the signal turns to a steady yellow. What does this signal tell you? →
- You arrive at an Oregon intersection where the traffic light is completely dark because of a power outage. What should you do? →
- You have a steady green circular signal in Oregon and you intend to turn left. Who must you yield to? →
- An Oregon signal is showing a flashing yellow circular light (not an arrow). What does it mean? →
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