Pennsylvania permit test: traffic signals
Steady and flashing lights, arrows, pedestrian signals and lane-use signals. 5 questions.
You are in the left lane of a one-way street, facing a red light at a cross street that is also one-way going left. No sign prohibits turning. What may you do?
Keyboard: press 1–4 or A–D to answer, Enter for the next question, S to save, R to read aloud, P to pause reading, L to listen and answer.
Sample traffic signals questions
You are in the left lane of a one-way street, facing a red light at a cross street that is also one-way going left. No sign prohibits turning. What may you do?
- A Wait for the green, because left turns on red are never allowed
- B Turn left without stopping if the way is clear
- C Stop, yield to pedestrians and traffic, then turn left
- D Turn left only if a green arrow sign is posted
Show answer
C. Stop, yield to pedestrians and traffic, then turn left
Pennsylvania allows a left turn on red from a one-way street onto another one-way street, unless a sign forbids it. You must stop first and yield to pedestrians and other traffic, just as for a right on red.
What does a flashing yellow arrow mean?
- A The signal is broken, so treat it as a four-way stop
- B You may turn with caution, but you must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
- C You must stop and wait for a steady green arrow
- D Your turn is protected because oncoming traffic has a red light
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B. You may turn with caution, but you must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
A flashing yellow arrow lets you turn in the arrow's direction after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. The turn is not protected, because oncoming traffic has a green light at the same time.
You arrive at an intersection where the traffic lights are completely dark because of a power outage. How should you treat it?
- A As a four-way stop
- B As a flashing yellow light
- C As an uncontrolled intersection where you keep going
- D As a yield sign for your direction only
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A. As a four-way stop
A traffic signal that is not working should be treated as a four-way stop. Every driver stops, and then the first to arrive goes first.
A ramp-metering signal on a single-lane highway entrance ramp turns green. What does that allow?
- A One car may go, and highway traffic must let it in
- B All waiting cars may go until it turns red
- C One car may go, and it must still find a safe gap to merge
- D Two cars may go, side by side
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C. One car may go, and it must still find a safe gap to merge
Ramp meters control the flow onto congested highways. On a single-lane ramp only one car may enter on each green, and the green does not protect you, so you must still look for a safe gap.