Stopping inside an intersection can block the emergency vehicle as well as the cross traffic. Drive on until you are through it, then move over to the right edge of the road and stay put until the emergency vehicle has gone by.
Traffic laws never hand anyone the right-of-way; they only state who has to yield. If a driver who should yield fails to, you must still slow down, stop or give way as needed to prevent a collision.
Traffic already on the main road has the right-of-way, so a driver leaving a driveway, alley, or private lot must let it pass, along with any pedestrians or cyclists. Pull out only when the gap is big enough that no one has to brake for you.
Vehicles already circulating have priority, so an entering driver slows down, waits for a safe gap, and merges in without forcing anyone to brake; the number of lanes does not change this.
If no sign or signal governs an intersection, a vehicle already inside it has priority, so hold back until it is clear. When two vehicles get there at once, the one on the left must yield to the one on the right.
Pull toward the right side of the road and stop as close to the curb or shoulder as possible; this leaves the emergency vehicle space to go by on your left. Remain there until it has passed.
At a four-way stop, every vehicle must stop completely, and drivers then take turns in the order they arrived. Look around before moving to be certain it really is your turn.
You must yield to an approaching emergency vehicle that is using its lights by pulling over to the curb or edge of the road and stopping. Stay stopped until it has gone by; slowing down in your lane can still leave you in its path.
Vehicles already traveling on the street have the right-of-way over a car leaving a parking space. Check the mirrors and glance back at your blind spot, signal, and pull out only when there is a gap large enough to merge safely.
At an uncontrolled intersection, a driver turning left has to wait for oncoming vehicles that are heading straight. Also, when two vehicles arrive at the same moment, the driver to the left must yield to the driver to the right; it never works the other way around.
When two vehicles halt at an all-way stop simultaneously, the driver on the left lets the driver on the right go first. If three arrive together, the one farthest to the left keeps waiting until the vehicles on its right have gone.
Safety comes before any legal claim to go first. If insisting on your right-of-way could cause a collision, let the other driver go, even when the law is on your side.
A left turn takes you across the path of oncoming vehicles, so at an intersection without signs or signals the duty to wait is yours. Turn only after approaching traffic has passed or is far enough away for you to finish the turn safely.
Emergency vehicles such as fire engines, police cars and ambulances have the right-of-way whenever they sound a siren or air horn or flash red or blue warning lights. Move to the right edge of the road, stop, and stay there until they have gone by.
Move Over laws protect people who are stopped or working beside the road. When you approach a stopped emergency vehicle, police car, tow truck, or highway maintenance vehicle with flashing lights, shift to a lane farther from it if you can do so safely; if you cannot, slow down as you go by.
A driver turning left must let oncoming traffic that is going straight and is close enough to be a hazard pass before turning. Starting the turn first does not give you the right-of-way.
Tip A vehicle coming toward you and going straight has priority over your left turn across its lane.
Arrows chasing one another in a circle mean a roundabout is coming up. Slow down, give the right-of-way to traffic already in the circle, travel counterclockwise, and signal before you exit.
Drivers must yield to a funeral procession and must not cut into or drive through the line of vehicles. The procession travels with headlights on, and its vehicles must themselves yield to emergency vehicles using sirens and flashing lights.
On a one-way street you can pull to either side, so head for whichever edge is closer, stop, and stay there until the emergency vehicle has gone by; racing ahead or merely slowing down can leave it blocked.
After stopping, scan in both directions and do not move until the intersection is clear. The usual pattern is left, right, then left again, because traffic from the left reaches you first; simply following the car ahead skips this check.
Police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles that are sounding a siren and flashing red lights must be given the right-of-way. Pull over to the right and stop, but do not stop inside an intersection; if you are already in one, keep going until you have cleared it.
A STOP sign calls for a complete stop every time, even if the intersection looks empty and no vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians are in sight. Rolling slowly through is not enough: halt fully at the stop line or before the crosswalk, then check traffic and go when it is safe.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
