Right-of-way and intersections
A pedestrian waiting at the corner looks right at you and makes eye contact as you approach. What does the handbook say this means?
- They are ready to cross, so you should yield to them. Correct answer
- They have seen you and will wait until you pass.
- They are letting you know you may go ahead.
Why
In the handbook, eye contact is the sign that a pedestrian is about to step off the curb, and your job is to yield. Reading it as "they saw me, so they will wait" gets the signal backwards, and so does treating it as permission to drive on. The one gesture the handbook describes as usually meaning you may go belongs to a blind pedestrian who pulls in the cane and steps back from the intersection. Give everyone enough time to finish crossing, since older people, people with small children and people with disabilities may need longer. Whenever someone is crossing, with or without a crosswalk, slow down or stop so they can get across safely.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is They are ready to cross, so you should yield to them.
The rule behind this one
Right of way in California: who goes first goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on right-of-way and intersections
- You approach a crosswalk that has built-in flashing lights, but right now the lights are not flashing. What should you do?
- You drive an electric car and are backing out of a driveway while a pedestrian with a guide dog walks nearby. Why does the handbook ask for extra care with hybrid and electric vehicles here?
- You reach an intersection that has no STOP or YIELD signs at the same time as another vehicle, which is on your right. What should you do?
- What should you do as you approach a roundabout and prepare to enter it?