Traffic Laws & Rules of the Road
Lock in the everyday traffic laws every scenario builds on.
These are the baseline rules that other modules assume you already know: what the law requires in ordinary driving, how rules interact when situations combine, and the general principles that fill the gaps between specific scenarios. Treat this module as the foundation pass, because clean recall here makes every scenario question elsewhere easier to reason through.
The rules that matter
- Stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, from both directions unless a physical barrier divides the road.
- Stop behind the stop line or crosswalk — a rolling stop is a citation and an automatic fail on a road test.
- Never enter an intersection you cannot clear, even on a green light.
- Yield to pedestrians in every crosswalk, whether it is painted or not.
- Headlights are required from dusk to dawn and whenever visibility is poor. Many states also require them whenever your wipers are on.
- Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime. Stop, exchange information, and report it when your state requires it.
The lessons in this module
Each lesson is one short set of questions. If you've missed questions in this module before, a few come back at the start. Progress saves automatically; sign in only if you want cross-device sync.
Lesson videos
2 lessons · See all →Read this in the handbook
Look for these sections: Rules of the Road, Traffic Laws.
Where these rules come from
We do not copy official handbooks — most states do not allow it. What we do instead: state the rule in our own words, then name the official document behind it. 74 questions in this module cite 30 official documents, none checked earlier than 2026-05-17. The 6 most-cited are below.
| Official document | Sections cited |
|---|---|
NHTSA Ten Tips for Safe Driving ↗ National · Checked 2026-08-01 | Safe Driving Basics |
California Driver's Handbook ↗ State-specific · Checked 2026-07-28 | Accident Reporting Requirements, Address Change Requirements, Driver's License as Privilege |
New York State Driver's Manual ↗ State-specific · Checked 2026-06-18 | Traffic Laws, Traffic Laws and Fines, Traffic Violations and Penalties |
Florida Driver's Handbook ↗ State-specific · Checked 2026-06-18 | Financial Responsibility, Traffic Laws, Traffic Violations and Penalties |
Texas Driver Handbook ↗ State-specific · Checked 2026-06-18 | Alcohol and Driving, Financial Responsibility, Move Over/Slow Down |
California Driver's Handbook ↗ State-specific · Checked 2026-05-17 | General Driving |
Opening a source takes you to the agency's own site, never to a copy of ours. If a source is out of date or broken, say so from any question.
Practice this module
Instantly graded questions, with the explanation behind every answer.
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Keep practising here
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Review these questions
An uncontrolled intersection is one that has:
- A. A traffic light
- B. A stop sign
- C. A yield sign
- D. No signs or signals
Show answer
D. No signs or signals — An uncontrolled intersection has no traffic signs, signals, or markings. You must slow down and be prepared to stop.
Universal rule · checked against NHTSA Ten Tips for Safe Driving — Safe Driving Basics · verified 2026-08-01
You are required to stop your vehicle for a law enforcement officer who signals you to stop. Failure to comply can result in:
- A. Community service
- B. Arrest and additional charges beyond the original stop
- C. Only a fine, with no risk of arrest for refusing to stop
- D. A warning on your record
Show answer
B. Arrest and additional charges beyond the original stop — Failing to stop for a law enforcement officer is a misdemeanor in California. Additional charges of evading a police officer can be filed, which carries serious penalties including arrest and prosecution.
Universal rule · checked against NHTSA Ten Tips for Safe Driving — Safe Driving Basics · verified 2026-08-01
When is it legal to use your vehicle's horn?
- A. To warn others of danger or alert another driver of your presence
- B. To express frustration with slow-moving traffic
- C. Whenever you personally feel that it is necessary
- D. To greet someone you know on the street
Show answer
A. To warn others of danger or alert another driver of your presence — The horn should only be used as a safety device to warn others of danger or to alert a driver who may not be aware of your presence. Using it out of frustration or to greet people is inappropriate.
Universal rule · checked against NHTSA Ten Tips for Safe Driving — Safe Driving Basics · verified 2026-08-01
What does 'driving to the conditions' mean?
- A. Driving at exactly the posted speed limit regardless of conditions
- B. Only adjusting speed for weather, keeping all other behaviors constant
- C. Adjusting speed and behavior to match current road and weather conditions
- D. Checking the weather before long trips only
Show answer
C. Adjusting speed and behavior to match current road and weather conditions — Driving to the conditions means every aspect of your driving adapts to current circumstances. Rain, fog, night, construction, heavy traffic, and unfamiliar roads all require adjustments to speed, following distance, and attentiveness.
Universal rule · checked against NHTSA Ten Tips for Safe Driving — Safe Driving Basics · verified 2026-08-01
Beyond exchanging insurance information, what else should you document at the scene of a collision if you're able to safely do so?
- A. Only the other driver's name, nothing else
- B. Nothing else is necessary once insurance information is exchanged
- C. Photos of the damage, the other plate, and witness contact info
- D. A written confession from the other driver
Show answer
C. Photos of the damage, the other plate, and witness contact info — Photos of the damage, vehicle positions, license plates, road conditions, and witness contact information can all help support an accurate insurance claim later, beyond just exchanging names and insurance details.
Universal rule · checked against NHTSA Ten Tips for Safe Driving — Safe Driving Basics · verified 2026-08-01