New York video lessons · Lesson 2 of 10
New York Right-of-Way and Pedestrians: five situations explained
All five situations and their answers are below. To watch the lesson, create a free account.
In this video
- 0:00Intro
- 0:17A school bus ahead begins flashing yellow lights. What does it mean?
- 1:22Two drivers stop at stop signs at right angles at the same time. Who goes first?
- 2:21Besides intersections, where does the New York manual say many turn-related crashes happen?
- 3:29Your light is green, but a car is already in the intersection finishing a left turn. What do you do?
- 4:27A blind pedestrian with a guide dog starts across against the signal. What must you do?
- 5:29Recap
In short
Yellow warning lights mean the bus is about to stop. At uncontrolled intersections, or when drivers at right angles stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Most crashes occur at intersections when a driver turns; many occur in large public parking lots such as shopping centers.
The five situations
Pick an answer first, the way the video pauses for you. Each one cites the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21).
Situation 1
A school bus ahead begins flashing yellow lights. What does it mean?
Answer: A. It is about to stop to load or unload; slow down and be prepared to stop. Yellow warning lights mean the bus is about to stop. Decrease speed and be prepared to stop.
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) › Chapter 6 › School Buses
Situation 2
Two drivers stop at stop signs at right angles at the same time. Who goes first?
Answer: A. The driver on the right. At uncontrolled intersections, or when drivers at right angles stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) › Chapter 5 › Right-of-Way
Situation 3
Besides intersections, where does the New York manual say many turn-related crashes happen?
Answer: B. In large parking lots open to the public. Most crashes occur at intersections when a driver turns; many occur in large public parking lots such as shopping centers.
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) › Chapter 5 › Intersections and Turns
Situation 4
Your light is green, but a car is already in the intersection finishing a left turn. What do you do?
Answer: A. Let it finish the turn before you enter. A driver approaching an intersection must yield to traffic already in the intersection.
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) › Chapter 5 › Right-of-Way
Situation 5
A blind pedestrian with a guide dog starts across against the signal. What must you do?
Answer: A. Give them the right-of-way. Blind pedestrians with a guide dog or white or metal cane always have the right-of-way at marked or unmarked crosswalks, even against the signals.
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) › Chapter 11 › Pedestrians
Transcript
0:00Intro
Right-of-way comes down to one question: who goes first? Let's work through five everyday situations from the New York State Driver's Manual. For each one, pick your answer before I reveal it.
0:17Situation 1
The school bus ahead of you turns on its flashing yellow lights. A school bus ahead begins flashing yellow lights. What does it mean? The answer is A: It is about to stop to load or unload; slow down and be prepared to stop. Yellow warning lights mean the bus is about to stop. Decrease speed and be prepared to stop. Yellow lights mean the bus is about to stop to load or unload children. Slow down and be ready to stop.
1:22Situation 2
You and another driver stop at the stop signs at the same moment. Their car is on your right. Two drivers stop at stop signs at right angles at the same time. Who goes first? The answer is A: The driver on the right. At uncontrolled intersections, or when drivers at right angles stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. When two drivers arrive together at right angles, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
2:21Situation 3
Most crashes happen at intersections when a driver turns. But there's another place where turning crashes are common. Besides intersections, where does the New York manual say many turn-related crashes happen? The answer is B: In large parking lots open to the public. Most crashes occur at intersections when a driver turns; many occur in large public parking lots such as shopping centers. Busy shopping center lots are full of turning cars and people walking. Drive slowly and expect the unexpected.
3:29Situation 4
Your light turns green, but a car is still in the intersection, finishing its left turn. Your light is green, but a car is already in the intersection finishing a left turn. What do you do? The answer is A: Let it finish the turn before you enter. A driver approaching an intersection must yield to traffic already in the intersection. Traffic already in the intersection goes first. Let it finish, then go.
4:27Situation 5
A pedestrian with a guide dog starts across the street in front of you, even though the signal says don't walk. A blind pedestrian with a guide dog starts across against the signal. What must you do? The answer is A: Give them the right-of-way. Blind pedestrians with a guide dog or white or metal cane always have the right-of-way at marked or unmarked crosswalks, even against the signals. A blind pedestrian with a guide dog or cane always has the right-of-way at crosswalks, even against the signal.
5:29Recap
Yellow warning lights mean the bus is about to stop. At uncontrolled intersections, or when drivers at right angles stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Most crashes occur at intersections when a driver turns; many occur in large public parking lots such as shopping centers. A driver approaching an intersection must yield to traffic already in the intersection. Blind pedestrians with a guide dog or white or metal cane always have the right-of-way at marked or unmarked crosswalks, even against the signals. Nice work. Try more right-of-way questions in Practice by Topic, then test yourself with a full mock exam.
The rules in this lesson
- Yellow warning lights mean the bus is about to stop.
- At uncontrolled intersections, or when drivers at right angles stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- Most crashes occur at intersections when a driver turns; many occur in large public parking lots such as shopping centers.
- A driver approaching an intersection must yield to traffic already in the intersection.
- Blind pedestrians with a guide dog or white or metal cane always have the right-of-way at marked or unmarked crosswalks, even against the signals.
Original practice lesson written from the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21). EstatePass is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York DMV; these are not official test questions.