Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Turning

You are stopped at a stop sign preparing to turn right onto a through street. What gap does the manual tell you to allow between you and any vehicle approaching from the left?

  1. A.
    About 9 seconds
  2. B.
    About 8 seconds Correct
  3. C.
    About 4 seconds
  4. D.
    About 6 seconds
The Why

The answer is "About 8 seconds"

The manual's right-turn rule is an eight-second gap between you and any vehicle approaching from the left. Nine seconds is the same page's gap for turning left from a minor onto a major street, and six seconds is its gap for crossing a 30 mph street from a two-way stop; the three bullets sit next to each other, and readers who half-remember which number belongs to which maneuver pull the wrong one.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. About 9 seconds

Nine seconds is the gap the manual gives for turning left from a minor onto a major street, not for a right turn. This answer grabs the number from the neighboring bullet on the same page, applying the left-turn-onto-a-major-street figure to a right turn.

C. About 4 seconds

Four seconds is a general following-distance rule of thumb behind another vehicle, not the intersection gap the manual sets for a right turn. This answer reaches for the following-distance figure carried over from earlier driving lessons when the question asks for an intersection-specific gap.

D. About 6 seconds

Six seconds is the gap the manual gives for crossing a 30 mph street from a two-way stop, not for a right turn. This answer picks the first bullet in the 'Moving Into and Through Intersections Safely' list, confusing the two-way-stop crossing figure with the right-turn gap in the bullet directly below it.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Turning in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Moving Into and Through Intersections Safely," p.49..

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