Test your vehicle I.Q.
An annual winter feature of the weekly “Safety on the Roads” column is a 20-question quiz on vehicle and traffic law (VTL) and traffic control devices (TCDs). The first 10 questions are true/false and questions; questions 11 through 20 are multiple choice. If you follow the weekly columns, you should do well, as all 20 questions are recent repeats or were previously covered in a “Safety on the Roads” column. The answers will be found in next week’s article. Try the quiz and see how much you know (or don’t know) about VTL and TCDs.
True or False
1. If it is safe to do so, you may legally cross a double solid line when passing a bicyclist riding on the shoulder.
2. 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.
3. If there are no sidewalks available, NYS VTL requires pedestrians to walk on the left side of the street or road facing oncoming traffic and requires bicyclists to always ride on the right side of the street or road with traffic.
4. Under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, if you are caught speeding more than 50 km/h (31 mph) above the posted speed limit police can impound your vehicle and license on the spot.
5. Rear seat passengers 16 years old and older are not required to wear seatbelts.
6. It is illegal for pedestrians to cross a roadway other than at an intersection.
7. A driver facing a steady red turn arrow may proceed with the turn after having first stopped and determined it is safe to complete the turn.
8. A battery-powered wheelchair used by a person with a disability is considered an assist to pedestrians, and therefore, if there are no sidewalks available, wheelchairs must be ridden against traffic.
9. As long as you are licensed to drive the vehicle, you may legally park in front of a fire hydrant provided you remain seated in the front seat and can immediately move such vehicle in case of emergency.
10. You approach an intersection controlled by a non-working traffic light (i.e. power outage). All drivers must treat the intersection as an “ALL-WAY” STOP.
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.
12. 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.
13. A conviction for doing donuts in a parking lot carries this many driver violation points: a) 0, b) 2, c) 3, d) 5.
14. 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 motor vehicles 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 4 or more lanes?
15. If facing a blinking yellow left turn arrow, it means a) don’t turn — the yellow arrow is about to turn red, b) you may turn left only if it is safe to do so, c) you must wait for a green light to make a left turn, d) trucks only may turn left.
16. All drivers must, by law, obey regulatory signs. Which of the following signs is NOT a regulatory sign: a) speed limit 30 MPH, b) no parking, c) round yellow railroad crossing in advance of a RR crossing, d) the white cross-buck railroad crossing sign at the near edge of the tracks?
17. Yoo may lose your license PERMANENTLY if convicted of DWI a) twice, b) three times, c) four times, d) five times.
18. The “Slow Down — Move Over” law mandates moving over if there is room to do so when approaching a vehicle on the side of the road with a) flashing red/white lights, b) flashing red/blue lights, c) flashing amber lights, d) any vehicle on the side of a limited access road, e) all of these.
19. Fines for a speed limit violation are doubled if convicted for speeding in a) a tunnel, b) a work zone, c) on a bridge, d) in a school speed zone.
20. It is a violation to drive with a) damaged license plates, b) peeling license plates, c) with a clear plastic cover over your license plates, d) all of these.
How do you think you did? The questions along with the answers will be the subject of next week’s article. Meanwhile, drive safely!