Traffic Signs & Signals — New York
New York permit practice test: 488 free practice questions (128 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). Official test format: Class D: 20 Q, pass 14 incl. >=2 of 4 sign Qs. Traffic Signs & Signals: 176 questions.
Regulatory, warning and guide signs, plus traffic light and pavement marking questions.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Traffic Signs & Signals |
| License test | New York Car learner's permit test (Class D) |
| Topic questions | 176 (36% of 488 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
dmv.ny.gov ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (176)
1. As you near an intersection, the traffic light changes from green to yellow. Your best action would be to:
- Speed up to beat the red light
- Apply the brakes sharply to stop
- Be prepared to stop in the center of the intersection
- Be prepared to stop before the intersection ✓
Answer: D. Be prepared to stop before the intersection
2. A red and white triangular sign at an intersection means:
- Slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary ✓
- Look both ways as you cross the intersection
- Slow down if an emergency vehicle is approaching
- Always come to a full stop at the intersection
Answer: A. Slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary
The red and white triangular sign is a yield sign: slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. The handbook describes the yield sign as red and white with red letters. It tells you to reduce your speed as you get to the intersection and to be ready to stop so you can give the right-of-way to traffic and pedestrians already there or approaching. It also says a full stop is required only when traffic conditions make it necessary. That matches slowing down and being prepared to stop, not stopping every time.
3. Minimum speed signs are designed to:
- Keep traffic flowing smoothly ✓
- Show current local road conditions
- Test future traffic signal needs
- Assure pedestrian safety
Answer: A. Keep traffic flowing smoothly
Minimum speed signs are there to keep traffic flowing smoothly, so vehicles do not hold up the road behind them. The manual explains that some highways post minimum speed limits to keep a smooth traffic flow. It also warns that a driver going below the minimum can halt the flow of traffic and create a dangerous condition. That is the purpose the signs serve: setting a floor so the whole stream keeps moving together. Nothing in the handbook ties these signs to reporting road conditions, planning signals, or pedestrian protection.
4. This sign (no u turn) means:
- No left turn
- No stopping
- No U-turn ✓
- Detour ahead
Answer: C. No U-turn
A sign showing a U-turn symbol crossed out by a red circle with a slash means no U-turn: you may not reverse direction there. The manual describes regulation signs as white rectangles with black or red letters or symbols, and says that a red circle with a slash over a symbol means the action shown is not allowed. Applied to a sign picturing a U-turn arrow, the crossed-out symbol tells you that turning around at that spot is prohibited, so the sign is about a U-turn and nothing else.
5. Which of the following must you obey over the other three?
- A steady red light
- A police officer ✓
- A stop sign
- A flashing red light
Answer: B. A police officer
You must obey a police officer over a steady red light, a stop sign, and a flashing red light. The manual says directions from traffic officers take precedence over signs, signals, and pavement markings. It gives examples: if an officer signals you to stop at a green light, you stop; if an officer signals you to go through a red light or stop sign, you do it. Police officers are listed among those authorized to direct traffic. So when a police officer's directions conflict with a steady red light, a stop sign, or a flashing red light, the officer's directions control.
6. You come to an intersection which has a flashing red light. You should:
- Come to a full stop, then go when safe to do so ✓
- Stop only if cars are approaching the intersection
- Stop only if cars are already in the intersection
- Slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary
Answer: A. Come to a full stop, then go when safe to do so
7. This sign (school crossing) means:
- Pedestrians only
- Intersection ahead
- Hiking trails ahead
- School crossing ahead ✓
Answer: D. School crossing ahead
This sign means a school crossing is ahead. The handbook's list of road signs you must know includes a School Crossing sign, so when you see it you should expect school children crossing the road near that spot. The manual names the sign and expects you to recognize it as part of the signs you must know. The passage does not spell out the wording 'ahead' in detail, but the sign is listed by that name, which points to a school crossing location coming up.
8. A diamond-shaped sign is a:
- Road hazard sign ✓
- Interstate route site
- School crossing sign
- Speed limit sign
Answer: A. Road hazard sign
A diamond-shaped sign is a road hazard warning sign. The handbook explains that the shape and color of a sign hint at the kind of information it carries, and it lists warning signs as yellow and diamond-shaped with black letters or symbols. A warning sign is there to alert you to a hazard ahead, so the diamond shape on its own points to a road hazard warning. That is why the diamond outline matches the road hazard choice rather than a route marker, a school crossing, or a speed limit sign.
9. A traffic light which has a green arrow and a red light means that:
- You may only drive straight ahead
- You may drive only in the direction of the green arrow ✓
- You must wait for a green light
- Vehicles moving in any direction must stop
Answer: B. You may drive only in the direction of the green arrow
You may drive only in the direction of the green arrow. A red light normally means stop, but the handbook describes an exception when a green arrow appears with it: you can proceed toward the arrow if the intersection is clear. The passage on green arrows adds that you must still yield to other traffic as the law requires. So the arrow controls your path. You go where it points, not straight ahead or in any other direction, and you do not need to wait for a full green light.
10. A "no stopping" sign means that, unless directed to do so by a policeman, you may stop only:
- Long enough to unload packages
- To avoid conflict with other traffic ✓
- To discharge passengers
- For less than 5 minutes
Answer: B. To avoid conflict with other traffic
A no stopping sign means you may stop only to avoid conflict with other traffic, or when a sign, signal, or police officer directs you to stop. The handbook divides parking, standing and stopping. A no parking sign still lets you pause briefly to load or unload goods or riders. A no standing sign allows only picking up or dropping off passengers, with the driver staying inside. A no stopping sign is stricter: it permits a stop only to follow a sign, signal or officer, or to keep from conflicting with other vehicles. That is why the answer is the choice about avoiding conflict with other traffic.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · 128 official sample questions · Official driver handbook