Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Regulatory Signs

What does this sign require of a driver turning left when the signal shows a solid green ball?

Vertical white rectangle with black border, black text reading LEFT TURN YIELD ON GREEN above a solid green circle.
  1. A.
    Yield to oncoming traffic before completing the turn. Correct
  2. B.
    Come to a full stop at the line, then turn when clear.
  3. C.
    Turn without yielding, because the green ball protects the turn.
  4. D.
    Wait for a green arrow; the circular green does not allow a left turn.
The Why

The answer is "Yield to oncoming traffic before completing the turn."

The placard restates the permissive left-turn rule: on a circular green ball, a driver may turn left but must first wait for a safe gap in oncoming traffic. The trap is the choice that treats the green ball as a protected turn, which is what a green arrow does; the placard is posted precisely because the ball does not protect the turn.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Come to a full stop at the line, then turn when clear.

The placard governs a permissive green, not a stop-controlled turn, so no full stop at the line is required before proceeding into a gap. This answer carries the stop-and-proceed habit from a stop-controlled left into a permissive turn at a traffic light.

C. Turn without yielding, because the green ball protects the turn.

A circular green permits the left turn but does not protect it; only a green arrow indicates a protected left turn against oncoming traffic. This answer treats the circular green ball as if it carried the same priority as a protected green arrow.

D. Wait for a green arrow; the circular green does not allow a left turn.

A left turn is allowed on a circular green as long as the driver waits for a safe gap, so no arrow is needed to begin the turn. This answer reads the placard as reserving all left turns for the protected arrow phase.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Regulatory Signs on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R10-12 (Left Turn Yield on Green)..

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