A driver should:
- Assume all drivers automatically obey the right-of-way rules.
- Assume most drivers obey the right-of-way rules.
- Always be prepared to yield the right-of-way. ✓
Answer: C. Always be prepared to yield the right-of-way.
A driver should always be prepared to yield the right-of-way.
Why this is the answer
The handbook tells you to look left, right, and ahead before entering an intersection and to be ready to slow down and stop if needed. It also lists situations where someone else gets the right-of-way first, such as a vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist arriving at the same time on your right, and it says to proceed with caution on a green light because pedestrians have the right-of-way. Since you cannot count on other people to follow the rules, staying ready to yield keeps you out of trouble when they do not.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Assume all drivers automatically obey the right-of-way rules. — No passage says other drivers always obey the right-of-way rules, and the handbook's repeated warnings to check and be ready to stop show that you cannot count on that.
- B. Assume most drivers obey the right-of-way rules. — The handbook never says most drivers obey the rules; it puts the duty on you to look out, slow down, and give way when someone else has the right-of-way.
Remember it
Treat the right-of-way as something you give away, not something you can count on collecting.