There is no crosswalk and you see a pedestrian crossing your lane ahead. You should:
- Make eye contact with and then pass the pedestrian.
- Slow down as you pass the pedestrian.
- Stop and let the pedestrian finish crossing the street. ✓
Answer: C. Stop and let the pedestrian finish crossing the street.
You should stop and let the pedestrian finish crossing the street.
Why this is the answer
The manual tells drivers to yield to pedestrians at all crosswalks and intersections, marked or unmarked, and to yield when there is no traffic control signal, especially if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk or there is potential danger to that person. It also says the law requires you to be extra careful to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Someone already on foot in your lane is exactly that situation, so the safe and legal move is to stop and wait until they are clear.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Make eye contact with and then pass the pedestrian. — Making eye contact does not give you the right to drive past someone who is already in your lane, and the manual says to yield to pedestrians rather than squeeze by them.
- B. Slow down as you pass the pedestrian. — Slowing down is not enough here, because the manual says to yield and be prepared to stop for pedestrians in your path, not to keep rolling past them.
Remember it
A person on foot in your lane is your stop line, not something to steer around.