Pedestrian right of way — New York Permit Test
Pedestrian right of way on the New York permit test — 9 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks, and a driver must yield to pedestrians at all crosswalks and intersections, whether marked or unmarked.
Paint does not make the crosswalk. The corner is a crosswalk whether it is painted or not.
Be responsible: Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks.
Where there is no traffic control signal, drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, particularly if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk or there is potential danger to the pedestrian.
No signal means nothing is holding the pedestrian back. The driver does the yielding.
When there is no traffic control signal, drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, particularly if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk, or there is potential danger to the pedestrian.
Every driver approaching an intersection or crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian.
It is not a special rule for busy corners. It applies at every one of them.
Every driver approaching an intersection or crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian.
Drivers may be issued a ticket if they are involved in a crash with a pedestrian, injure a pedestrian or bicyclist, or fail to exercise due care.
Failing to take care is itself the offense. The ticket does not wait for a crash.
Drivers may be issued a tickets if they are involved in a crash with a pedestrian, injure a pedestrian/bicyclist or fail to exercise due care.
A driver should stop well back from a crossing to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians so they can stop too.
A car stopped right on the line hides the walker from the next lane over.
Stop well back from the crossing to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians so they can stop too.
A driver should never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk, because there may be people crossing where the driver cannot see.
The stopped car is stopped for somebody. Going around meets them at speed.
Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk.
A driver should pay particular attention to pedestrians accompanied by a guide dog, using a white cane or other mobility assistive devices.
These are the walkers who cannot dodge a car that arrives late.
Pay particular attention to pedestrians accompanied by a guide dog, using a white cane or other mobility assistive devices.
A driver should be aware of their vehicle's a-pillars, the vertical supports located around the glass, because these may interfere with seeing clearly and can create blind spots.
The post beside the windshield can hide a whole person at a corner. Leaning around it helps.
Be aware of your vehicle’s a-pillars (vertical supports on the vehicle that are located around all glass) as these may interfere with seeing clearly (they can create blind spots!)
More than 35 percent of New York City pedestrian injury crashes occur when a driver is attempting to make a left turn.
The left turn is the one where a driver watches oncoming cars rather than the crossing.
For example, > 35% of the NYC pedestrian injury crashes occur when a driver is attempting to make a left turn.
On the test
Where do pedestrians have the right of way?
At every crosswalk, painted or not. Paint does not make the crosswalk. The corner is a crosswalk whether it is painted or not. New York State Driver's Manual, p.68: “Be responsible: Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks.”
How this works
Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.
You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.
Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.
What it costs
- One payment, once — not a subscription. Nothing renews and there is nothing to cancel, for an exam you sit one time.
- Free to start: a 10-question test and the first section of cards. No sign-up and no account.
- Paying opens the rest of the cards, unlimited full-length practice tests, and retests built from exactly the questions you got wrong.
- Every level up to Prepared — 3 tests passed in a row.
- Do the work, fail the real exam, and we refund you.
Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against New York State Driver's Manual, published by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-15.