Traffic Signs
What shape is a STOP sign?
A. Triangle
B. Octagon
C. Diamond
D. Pentagon
B — Octagon
At a four-way stop, two vehicles arrive at the same time. Which vehicle generally has the right-of-way?
A. The vehicle on the left
B. The larger vehicle
C. The vehicle on the right
D. The vehicle turning left
C — The vehicle on the right
What do yellow pavement lines generally separate?
A. Traffic moving in opposite directions
B. Traffic moving in the same direction
C. Parking spaces only
D. Bicycle lanes only
Correct Answer: A - Traffic moving in opposite directions
What is the best way to reduce the risk of a crash while driving?
A. Follow other vehicles closely
B. Stay alert and anticipate potential hazards
C. Focus only on the vehicle ahead
D. Drive faster than surrounding traffic
Correct Answer: B. Stay alert and anticipate potential hazards
Why should you wear a seat belt?
A. It prevents every crash
B. It reduces the risk of serious injury in a crash
C. It allows you to drive faster legally
D. It is only needed on highways
Correct Answer: B. It reduces the risk of serious injury in a crash
What does a yellow, diamond-shaped sign usually indicate?
A. A required action
B. A service area
C. A warning about a road condition or hazard
D. A railroad crossing only
C — A warning about a road condition or hazard
You want to turn left at an intersection, and an oncoming vehicle is going straight. What should you do?
A. Turn first because you signaled
B. Yield to the oncoming vehicle
C. Flash your headlights and turn
D. Turn if you entered the intersection first, regardless of traffic
B — Yield to the oncoming vehicle
What does a broken white line between lanes mean?
A. Passing is never allowed
B. Traffic is moving in opposite directions
C. You may change lanes when it is safe
D. You must stop before crossing it
Correct Answer: C - You may change lanes when it is safe
What should you do when driving in heavy rain?
A. Increase your speed to leave the rain sooner
B. Use cruise control to maintain speed
C. Follow the vehicle ahead more closely
D. Reduce speed and increase following distance
Correct Answer: D. Reduce speed and increase following distance
When should you use your turn signal?
A. Only when other vehicles are nearby
B. Only when turning at a traffic light
C. Before turning or changing lanes, giving others time to react
D. After you have started turning
Correct Answer: C. Before turning or changing lanes, giving others time to react
What does an upside-down triangular sign mean?
A. Yield
B. No passing
C. Stop
D. School zone
A — Yield
You are entering a public road from a private driveway. Who must you yield to?
A. Only vehicles approaching from your left
B. Only vehicles traveling faster than you
C. Only pedestrians
D. Other traffic and pedestrians on the road or crossing your path
Correct Answer - D. Other traffic and pedestrians on the road or crossing your path
What should you do when approaching a steady yellow traffic light?
A. Accelerate to get through every time
B. Stop if you can do so safely. Otherwise, proceed cautiously through the intersection
C. Stop only if another vehicle is present
D. Treat it like a green light
Correct Answer: B. Stop if you can do so safely. Otherwise, proceed cautiously through the intersection
Your vehicle begins to hydroplane on a wet road. What should you do first?
A. Ease off the accelerator and avoid sudden steering or braking
B. Slam on the brakes
C. Turn sharply toward the shoulder
D. Accelerate until the tires regain traction
Correct Answer: A. Ease off the accelerator and avoid sudden steering or braking
On a two-lane road, a school bus stops with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. What must drivers approaching from either direction do?
A. Stop and remain stopped until it is legal to proceed
B. Slow down and pass if no children are visible
C. Stop only if they are behind the bus
D. Pass at 10 mph
Correct Answer: A. Stop and remain stopped until it is legal to proceed
What does a pennant-shaped sign on the left side of the road indicate?
A. A school crossing
B. A railroad crossing
C. A divided highway begins
D. A no-passing zone
D — A no-passing zone
An emergency vehicle approaches behind you with flashing lights and a siren. What should you do?
A. Speed up to get out of its way
B. Stop immediately in your current lane
C. Pull to the right edge of the road and stop when safe
D. Turn left at the next intersection
Correct Answer: C - Pull to the right edge of the road and stop when safe
You are driving on a road with a double solid yellow centerline. What does this generally mean?
A. Passing is permitted in both directions
B. The road is one-way
C. You may pass if you use your turn signal
D. You may not cross the lines to pass, except where a specific legal exception applies
Correct Answer: D. You may not cross the lines to pass, except where a specific legal exception applies
A tire suddenly blows out while you are driving. What is the safest response?
A. Brake hard immediately
B. Turn sharply off the road
C. Grip the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and slow gradually
D. Accelerate to stabilize the vehicle
Correct Answer: C. Grip the steering wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and slow gradually
You are following another vehicle in normal conditions. Which choice best describes a safe following-distance strategy?
A. Stay one car length behind at every speed
B. Follow closely so other vehicles cannot merge
C. Maintain at least a three-second gap and increase it in poor conditions
D. Match the other vehicle's bumper distance
Correct Answer: C. Maintain at least a three-second gap and increase it in poor conditions
You approach a traffic signal that is completely dark because of a power outage. There are no officers directing traffic. What should you do in North Carolina?
A. Proceed at the normal speed limit if no cross traffic is visible.
B. Treat the intersection as an all-way stop, stopping and yielding according to stop-sign rules.
C. Yield only to vehicles approaching from your right, without stopping.
D. Wait until the signal turns back on, even if the intersection is clear.
Correct answer: B. Treat the intersection as an all-way stop, stopping and yielding according to stop-sign rules.
You approach an intersection with a green light and intend to turn left. An oncoming vehicle is close enough to present a hazard, and a pedestrian is crossing the road you would enter. The light changes to yellow while you are waiting to turn. What is the safest legal action?
A. Turn immediately because you entered the intersection on green.
B. Yield only to the pedestrian because the yellow light gives you priority over oncoming traffic.
C. Wait for the oncoming vehicle and pedestrian to clear, then complete the turn only when it is safe and lawful.
D. Reverse out of the intersection to avoid the yellow light.
Correct answer: C, Wait for the oncoming vehicle and pedestrian to clear, then turn when safe and lawful.
You are on a four-lane highway with a center turn lane. A school bus stops on the opposite side with red lights flashing and its stop arm extended. You are traveling in the opposite direction. What does North Carolina law require?
A. Stop because all traffic must stop whenever a school bus displays flashing red lights.
B. Stop only if a child is visible near the bus.
C. Stop if there is no traffic behind you.
D. You are not required to stop for that bus under this specific roadway exception, but you must remain alert for pedestrians and hazards.
Correct answer: D, You are not required to stop under this specific exception.
You are driving on a wet highway when your vehicle begins hydroplaning. You have an approaching curve, and another vehicle is following closely behind you. Which response is best?
A. Ease off the accelerator, avoid abrupt braking or steering, and maintain control until your tires regain traction.
B. Brake hard before reaching the curve to reduce speed as quickly as possible.
C. Accelerate through the curve to restore traction and prevent the following vehicle from hitting you.
D. Make a sharp steering correction toward the shoulder to leave the travel lane.
Correct answer: A, Ease off the accelerator and avoid abrupt braking or steering until traction returns.
On a divided highway with a physical median, a school bus stops with its red lights flashing. You are traveling in the opposite direction on the other side of the median. What should you do under North Carolina rules?
A. Always stop, no matter what separates the roadways
B. Stop only if children are crossing your lanes
C. Reverse until you reach an intersection
D. You are generally not required to stop for that bus, but must remain alert
Correct answer: D. You are generally not required to stop for that bus, but must remain alert