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Quiz: Do You Know the Rules of the Road?

Legal and tech changes mean even longtime drivers have gaps in their driving know-how

Selene Yeager

En español

Published June 11, 2021

9 Questions

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When you’ve been driving for decades it’s easy to feel like you know it all. Yet for years, national surveys have shown that about one in five of us would flunk a written driver’s test. There also are laws that evolve with the times, like those regarding pedestrians and cell phone use that many people simply don’t know.

Test your own road IQ with this quiz:

Quiz: Do You Know the Rules of the Road?

[ {
  "question" : "1. At what distance before making a turn should you put on your turn signal?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. 50 feet before the turn",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. 100 feet before the turn",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. It depends on whether anyone is behind you to see you turning",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. Early enough to give drivers behind you time to react",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The law requires you to signal your intent to turn, whether you’re leaving the highway or turning into your driveway, at least 100 feet ahead of the turn.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "2. What does a solid white line on a roadway mean?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. Passing is discouraged",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. All lanes of traffic are traveling in your direction",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. An indication of the shoulder of the road",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. Any of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Roads often will have solid white lines showing where the shoulder of the road starts. When there is a solid white line between travel lanes, it means traffic is flowing in the same direction. And crossing a solid white line is generally considered unsafe and discouraged; crossing double white lines is prohibited.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "3. What does a blinking red light mean?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. You only need to stop if there’s cross traffic coming from either direction.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. You should approach with caution",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. You should come to a stop and proceed when the traffic is clear",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. The light is going to turn solid red soon",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Red always means stop, even if that red light is blinking.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "4. If the steering wheel were a clock, where should your hands be positioned?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. 12 and 6",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. 7 and 5",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. 9 and 3",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. 10 and 2",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Not 10 and 2, as we may have been taught? That has changed along with car design and technology. To best maintain a balanced grip on today’s steering wheels and avoid injury should the airbag deploy, it's now 9 and 3, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "5. What’s the proper technique for making a right turn across a bike lane?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. Yield to oncoming cyclists; then cross over into the lane and make your turn",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. Cars are not permitted to turn across a bike lane",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. Just turn. Cars have the right of way; cyclists coming up behind you must yield",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. Honk to let cyclists know you’re coming over, then execute your turn",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Cyclists have the right of way in the bike lane. You should avoid crossing into or driving in a bike lane, except when necessary to make a turn or to park near the curb. Always check for cyclists that may be in your blind spot, and let oncoming riders pass through before crossing the lane.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "6. Who has the right of way when a car is merging onto a highway?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. The merging car has the right of way; cars in the highway should move over or slow down",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. The cars on the highway have the right of way and are not required to yield",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. Whoever is going faster has the right of way",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. There are no hard and fast right-of-way rules for merging onto a highway",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Though it sure feels like there are no hard and fast rules sometimes, there are: The cars on the highway have the right of way.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "7. Who has the right of way when two cars come to a four-way stop at the same time?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. The car going straight has right of way over the one that is turning across traffic",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. Nobody has the right of way. Wave the other driver on if they don’t wave you on first",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. The car to the right has the right of way",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. A and C",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "This is the official stance. If you are head-to-head with the other car, the vehicle that is going straight has the right of way over one turning left.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "8. When legally passing another vehicle on a two-lane roadway, you must …",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. Flash your high beams to let them know you’re coming around",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. Honk your horn to let them know you’re coming around",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. Return to your lane before coming within 200 feet of an oncoming vehicle",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. Accelerate 10 to 15 mph above the speed limit to execute your pass quickly",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The only time you should pass on a two-lane road is when the car in front of you is going well under the speed limit, because you will need to accelerate around them and it’s illegal to speed. You also need enough open space in the other lane to complete the pass before you’re within 200 feet of any oncoming vehicles.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "9. When should you yield to pedestrians?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. When they’re in a controlled or marked crosswalk",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. When they’re crossing at any corner",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "C. In any portion of the roadway",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "D. It depends",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "When there is a traffic-controlling device indicating when pedestrians can cross, cars must stop. When there are no traffic-controlling devices, the laws differ by state. In most states, cars are expected to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks; in some states, they're expected to stop.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

Quiz Progress

0 Correct

0 Incorrect