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Test your Vehicle and Traffic Law IQ, 2024

Last week’s column presented 20 questions on vehicle and traffic law (VTL) and traffic safety. Hopefully you took the test and kept your answers handy. This column repeats the questions and includes the answers. See how you did.

True or False

1. If your vehicle has daytime running lights, you are not required to turn on your headlights when your wipers are on. (A: False. Your full headlights and taillights are required.)

2. Roundabouts have eight potential conflict points compared with 32 at a traditional intersection. (A: True.)

3. You pull over to the shoulder of the road to make a phone call. While stopped on the shoulder, you must keep your right turn signal on. (A: False. VTL prohibits using the right turn signal when stopped on the shoulder — use your four-way hazard lights.)

4. Rear seat passengers 16 years old and older are not required to wear seatbelts. (A: False. Effective as of Nov. 1, 2020, all passengers in automobiles and taxis must be restrained.)

5. If there are no sidewalks available, New York state VTL requires pedestrians to walk on the left side of the street or road facing oncoming traffic. (A: True.)

6. It is illegal for pedestrians to cross a roadway at other than an intersection. (A: False. Mid-block crossing is allowed but pedestrians must yield to all traffic upon the roadway.)

7. If it is safe to do so, you may legally cross a double solid line when passing a bicyclist riding on the shoulder. (A: True. It’s part of the “slow down, move over” law to pass to the left of a bicyclist or pedestrian at a safe distance.)

8. A “two way left turn” lane (center turn lane) may be used to turn left from a street, road, or driveway entering the street or road you want to turn into. (A: True — section 1126(c) of VTL.)

9. Under state VTL, in Franklin County, the state Department of Transportation has the authority to set all speed limits on state, county and town highways. (A: True.)

10. When preparing for a left turn ahead, where there is a dedicated left turn lane, you must signal your movement from the driving lane into the left turn lane 100 feet before moving into the left turn lane, AND you must also signal your left turn 100 feet prior to the turn. (A: True. VTL requires signaling at least 100 feet before lane changes and for turns.)

Multiple choice questions

11. At a signalized intersection, you are facing a green light and want to turn left, but there is a string of oncoming traffic. You should: A) stop at the stop bar and wait, B) go straight so as not to hold up traffic behind you, C) turn right and then make a U-turn, D) proceed into the intersection and wait for a break in oncoming traffic or the light to change, then complete your left turn. (Answer: D — You should enter the intersection for your left turn if the light is green and no other vehicle ahead of you is preparing for a left turn.)

12. When parallel parking a vehicle on a village street with curbs, you must park within: A) 6 inches from the curb, B) 12 inches from the curb, C) 18 inches from the curb. (Answer: B — 12 inches from the curb.)

13. Parking is prohibited: A) within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, B) within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, C) on a crosswalk, D) on a sidewalk, E) where prohibited by an official sign, F) all of these. (Answer: F — all the answers, A through E.)

14. A conviction for texting while driving carries: A) Zero, B) Two, C) Three or D) Five driver violation points. (Answer: D — Five driver violation points.)

15. If a snowplow hits and damages your rural mailbox, the municipality that owns the snowplow must repair the mailbox within A) 48 hours, B) one week, C) by the following April 1, D) is under no obligation to repair it. (Answer: D — no obligation to repair it.)

16. Unless other times are specified on a school speed zone sign, the school speed limit is in effect for which two answers: A) at all times, B) from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on school days, C) whenever beacons are flashing, D) when students are present. (Answer: B and C.)

17. If found guilty of passing a stopped school bus from either direction, you will be assigned A) two points, B) three points, C) five points on your driving record. (Answer: C — five violation points.)

18. Under which three of the following five conditions are U-turns prohibited: A) upon any curve or upon the approach to, or near the crest of a grade where such motor vehicle cannot be seen by another driver within 500 feet, B) within a school zone, C) on any roadway with a speed limit over 40 mph, D) where official signs prohibit U-turns, E) on a highway with four or more lanes? (Answer: A, B and D.)

19. There are now more than A) 1,000, B) 5,000, C) 10,000, D) 25,000 roundabouts in the U.S. (Answer: C — 10,000.)

20. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration assesses driver error in A) 50%, B) 75%, C) 88%, or D) 94% of all traffic crashes. (Answer: D — 94%.)

Most of these questions are straight-forward, laws that all drivers should know. If you did well (at least 17 right), keep up the good work. If you didn’t do so well, maybe you should enroll in a driver safety class or at least get a driver’s manual and read up on the information therein. And keep reading these weekly articles on VTL and traffic safety.

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