Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Road Markings

As you approach an intersection, you see white triangles painted across your lane. What do these markings tell you?

  1. A.
    You are entering a marked school-zone crosswalk area.
  2. B.
    The lane is reserved for right turns only ahead.
  3. C.
    You must yield to approaching traffic before entering. Correct
  4. D.
    You must make a complete stop at the first triangle.
The Why

The answer is "You must yield to approaching traffic before entering."

White triangles painted across the lane mean you must yield to approaching traffic before entering the intersection. Choice D catches drivers thinking of STOP AHEAD pavement lettering, which warns of an upcoming STOP sign where a complete stop will be required, and read the sharp triangle shape as another stop cue.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. You are entering a marked school-zone crosswalk area.

The manual reserves the word SCHOOL, not white triangles, as the pavement warning painted before a school zone. This answer generalizes any painted intersection cue to a school zone, since SCHOOL lettering is the pavement marking most drivers remember.

B. The lane is reserved for right turns only ahead.

The manual marks a turn-only lane with the word ONLY plus a left or right arrow, not white triangles. This answer applies the ONLY-plus-arrow turn-lane rule to any painted lane symbol, since arrow-plus-word is the cue drivers associate with turn restrictions.

D. You must make a complete stop at the first triangle.

The triangles function as a painted YIELD, which allows entry when the way is clear rather than a mandatory full stop. This answer reads the sharp triangle shape as a stop cue, defaulting to the STOP AHEAD pavement lettering as the closest remembered intersection marking.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Pavement Markings," p.22..

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