Signs, signals and pavement markings
You are approaching a YIELD sign at an intersection. When must you come to a full stop there?
- When traffic conditions require it. Correct answer
- Every time, exactly as you would at a STOP sign.
- Never, because a YIELD sign only asks you to slow down.
Why
A YIELD sign asks you to slow down as you reach the intersection and be ready to stop, giving the right-of-way to vehicles and pedestrians who are in or heading toward it. Whether you actually stop depends on what you find: if traffic conditions require a stop, the stop is mandatory. That is why both extreme answers are wrong. A STOP sign demands a full stop every time; a YIELD sign does not, as long as nobody needs you to give way. But a YIELD sign is also more than a request to slow down, because when the traffic calls for it you must come to a complete stop. The habit the manual recommends: check carefully for traffic as you approach and arrive ready to stop.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is When traffic conditions require it.
More on signs, signals and pavement markings
- You enter a work zone marked with orange signs, but no special work area speed limit is posted. What must you do?
- You approach an intersection where the traffic lights are not working, and no traffic officer is directing traffic. What does state law require?
- You are driving in New York City and stop at a steady red light. No sign about turning on red is posted. May you turn right?
- Outside New York City, you are stopped at a steady red light on a one-way road and want to turn left onto another one-way road. No sign or marking prohibits the turn. What may you do?