When passing parked cars in a bus, what should you do?
- (a) Be confident that other drivers will give you the right-of way.
- (b) Look for clues that a car may be about to pull out in front of you. ✓
- (c) Honk your horn to ensure that other drivers will notice you.
- Do both (b) and (c).
Answer: B. (b) Look for clues that a car may be about to pull out in front of you.
Look for clues that a car may be about to pull out in front of you.
Why this is the answer
The bus-driving chapter says streets with parked cars create several hazards, and it lists what to watch for: vehicles pulling into traffic, doors opening on the traffic side, and pedestrians stepping out between cars. It also gives the warning clues to scan for, such as front wheels turned out, a driver sitting behind the wheel, exhaust from a tail pipe, brake lights, back-up lights, turn signals, and people near the road. Watching for those signs is what lets you avoid hitting a parked vehicle or the people around it, so scanning for clues is the right habit.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. (a) Be confident that other drivers will give you the right-of way. — The handbook tells you to watch for hazards and clues instead of counting on other drivers to yield; the right-of-way sign it mentions is about buses leaving a curb, not about you assuming drivers will make room for you.
- C. (c) Honk your horn to ensure that other drivers will notice you. — Nothing in these passages tells you to sound the horn, and the recommended approach is to read the clues and adjust, not to alert other drivers with noise.
- D. Do both (b) and (c). — This choice includes honking, which the passages never mention, so it goes beyond what the handbook actually advises.
Remember it
Watch the car, not just the road: turned wheels, a driver at the wheel, brake or signal lights and tailpipe exhaust all hint at what that parked vehicle may do next.