City of Pleasanton - Test Your Traffic Knowledge

Answers

1. You are walking home from school and you come to an intersection with a traffic signal. Across the street you see a pedestrian signal which is counting down the seconds, 10, 9, 8 …. (some pedestrian signals show a flashing red hand instead of time countdown). You should:

You should begin to cross the street only when you see the white, walking pedestrian symbol. There is a new type of pedestrian signal in use at some locations in Pleasanton that shows a white walking pedestrian symbol followed by a time countdown, and ending with a steady red hand. The countdown tells pedestrians who are already crossing the street how many seconds they have left to finish crossing the street. Other pedestrian signals show a white walking pedestrian symbol followed by a flashing red hand, and finally a steady red hand. The flashing red hand means that if you are already crossing the street, you can finish crossing, but if you have not yet left the sidewalk you should wait for the next white, walking pedestrian symbol.

2. You are walking home from school and you come to a crosswalk where you want to cross the street. There is a crossing guard at the crosswalk who has just raised her stop paddle and stepped off the sidewalk. You should:

You should wait on the sidewalk for the crossing guard to stop traffic and let you know when it is safe to cross. When a pedestrian wants to cross the street, the crossing guard makes the decision on when to stop traffic. The crossing guard raises the stop paddle and walks to the center of the roadway, in the crosswalk. Once the crossing guard has stopped all traffic, he/she will motion that it is OK for pedestrians to cross.

3. You are on the sidewalk at an intersection and you want to cross the street. There is no pedestrian signal, but there is a painted crosswalk in front of you. You should:

You should stay on the sidewalk until it is safe to cross. Make eye contact with driver of approaching vehicle and ensure that cars have stopped before crossing. According to the California Vehicle Code, pedestrians have the right-of –way at corners, whether or not crosswalk lines have been painted. However, the driver of the car may not be paying attention, or the driver may momentarily take his/her eyes off the road. The driver of the car may not be able to see you if it is dark, or if there is glare on his/her windshield. Stay on the sidewalk until it is safe to cross, and never assume that cars will stop for you.

4. Is it safe to wear a stereo headset while riding your bike?

No. If you are wearing headphones you cannot hear what is going on around you. You would not be able to hear the sirens of police, fire, and ambulance vehicles, or even the bells of other cyclists. It is important to be able to hear what is going on around you so you can react in time.

5. Are there traffic rules you must obey when you ride your bike on the road?

Yes. Once you ride your bike on the road you must obey all traffic laws.