Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardPedestrians and Crosswalk Safety

You are driving on a multi-lane city street and approaching an intersection with an unmarked crosswalk. A pedestrian carrying a white cane with a red tip steps off the curb to cross the street, and a vehicle traveling ahead of you in the adjacent lane comes to a stop short of the crosswalk. What is the legally required course of action you must take?

  1. Come to a complete stop prior to entering the crosswalk, remain stopped until the pedestrian has fully crossed the street, and avoid sounding your horn.Answer
  2. B
    Slow down and proceed past the stopped vehicle at a reduced speed if the visually impaired pedestrian has not yet entered your lane.
  3. C
    Sound your horn briefly to alert the visually impaired pedestrian of your approach before yielding the right-of-way.
  4. D
    Maintain your speed and yield only if the pedestrian steps directly into your specific lane of travel.

Answer

Come to a complete stop prior to entering the crosswalk, remain stopped until the pedestrian has fully crossed the street, and avoid sounding your horn.
State traffic laws give visually impaired pedestrians carrying a white cane or using a guide dog absolute right-of-way at all crosswalks (marked or unmarked). Drivers must come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian safely crosses the entire street. Furthermore, it is illegal to overtake any vehicle stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk, and drivers must avoid sounding their horn because it can disorient the pedestrian or guide dog.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the pedestrian status and crosswalk rules.
A pedestrian using a white cane indicates a visually impaired pedestrian who has absolute right-of-way at both marked and unmarked crosswalks.
Traffic laws grant total right-of-way to visually impaired pedestrians using a guide dog or white cane at all intersections.
2
Evaluate the traffic situation regarding the adjacent stopped vehicle.
You must not pass or overtake any vehicle that has stopped at a crosswalk to yield to a pedestrian.
Passing a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk prevents you from seeing the crossing pedestrian and creates a high risk of a severe collision.
3
Determine the appropriate vehicle control and courtesy actions.
Stop before the crosswalk, wait until the pedestrian completely clears the roadway, and do not honk.
Honking can confuse or startle a visually impaired pedestrian or their guide dog, making crossing unsafe.

Key Concept

Visually impaired pedestrian right-of-way and prohibitions on passing stopped vehicles at crosswalks
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

Pedestrians and Crosswalk Safety

More questions from this topic