You need to use extra caution when driving near a pedestrian using a white cane because:
- He or she is deaf.
- He or she is a police officer.
- He or she is blind. ✓
- He or she has poor balance.
Answer: C. He or she is blind.
You should use extra caution near a pedestrian with a white cane because that person is blind or visually impaired.
Why this is the answer
The handbook lists a visually impaired pedestrian carrying a white cane with a red tip, or one guided by a service animal, among the people you must slow down for: come to a complete stop, yield the right-of-way, and be extra careful. The cane is the signal that the person cannot see the road, traffic, or your vehicle, so the responsibility for avoiding a crash shifts to you.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. He or she is deaf. — A white cane is not a sign of deafness; the handbook ties it to visual impairment, not hearing loss.
- B. He or she is a police officer. — Nothing in the handbook connects a white cane with a police officer; it identifies a visually impaired pedestrian.
- D. He or she has poor balance. — Poor balance is not what the white cane indicates in the handbook; people with mobility aids like walkers, crutches, or wheelchairs are listed separately.
Remember it
Think of the white cane as the pedestrian's set of eyes on the road, so give that person the stop and the right-of-way.