⚖️ Intersections & right-of-way
Most crashes happen at intersections, which is exactly why examiners route the test through plenty of them. New York's right-of-way rules are short but absolute: yield to traffic already in the intersection, yield left to right at uncontrolled corners, stop fully for signs and pedestrians, and never enter a box you can't clear.
What the examiner is watching for
- ✓Complete stops at the stop line — or before the crosswalk if there's no line
- ✓Yielding to the driver on the right at simultaneous arrivals, without waving or hesitating games
- ✓Pedestrians given the crosswalk every time, marked or unmarked
- ✓Not entering an intersection that traffic ahead can't let you clear
Step by step
- 1Slow early and read the control: light, sign, or nothing — each has its own rule.
- 2At a STOP sign, stop completely before the line or crosswalk, then go when it's clearly safe.
- 3At uncontrolled corners or simultaneous stops, yield to the driver on your right.
- 4Before turning, scan both crosswalks for pedestrians — they keep the right-of-way even when your light is green.
- 5Check that the far side is clear before entering, so you never block the box.
Mistakes that cost points
- ✗Rolling the stop — the wheels must fully stop, at the right spot
- ✗Insisting on right-of-way you technically have; the manual says be prepared to yield anyway
- ✗Blocking the intersection on a green because traffic ahead hadn't cleared
- ✗Treating an out-of-service signal as a free pass instead of a STOP sign
The other 5 skills NY grades
FullPass is an independent study aid. Road-test guidance is written from official DMV test requirements; your examiner and the Department of Motor Vehicles remain the final authority.