At an intersection with a yield sign, you:
- Must yield the right-of-way to cross traffic that is close enough to cause conflict. ✓
- Must yield to vehicles only on your right.
- Should slow down but never stop.
Answer: A. Must yield the right-of-way to cross traffic that is close enough to cause conflict.
At a yield sign you must give the right-of-way to cross traffic that is close enough to cause a conflict, so be ready to slow down or stop before entering the intersection.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says that when you are at or approaching a sign you should yield to nearby vehicles that may have the right-of-way, and it also tells you to look left, right, and ahead before entering an intersection and to be prepared to slow down and stop if necessary. Together, those points mean a yield sign does not give you a free pass into the crossing road. You go only when the traffic you would cut across is far enough away that it will not have to change speed or swerve because of you.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Must yield to vehicles only on your right. — Yielding only to vehicles on your right describes the tie-breaker at an uncontrolled intersection where two cars arrive at the same moment, not what a yield sign requires.
- C. Should slow down but never stop. — Slowing down is not enough on its own, because the handbook tells you to be ready to stop when necessary, and you must stop if traffic is close enough to conflict with you.
Remember it
Treat a yield sign as a question: is that crossing traffic far enough away that nobody has to adjust for me? If not, wait.