The only signal permitting movement is a green left arrow. Which movement does that arrow authorize?
Correct answer: A left turn, when it can be made safely.
A green arrow permits the direction it points, not every direction through the intersection. Other movements require an indication that permits them.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(A)(2): green-arrow direction; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A green turn arrow appears, but a pedestrian is still lawfully in the crosswalk across your turning path. What must you do?
Correct answer: Yield to the pedestrian before completing the turn.
An arrow does not remove the duty to yield to lawful crosswalk users and traffic already lawfully in the intersection. Check the path before moving.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(A)(2): lawful crosswalk users; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A green movement changes to a steady yellow signal. What does yellow warn you about?
Correct answer: The green movement is ending or red is about to appear.
Steady yellow warns of the approaching end of the permitted movement. It is not an instruction to accelerate into the intersection.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(B)(1): steady yellow; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
You drive a car on a two-way street and face a steady red left arrow. No officer directs you otherwise. May you turn left after stopping merely because traffic is clear?
Correct answer: No; the one-way-to-one-way exception does not fit this approach.
The ordinary red-signal left-turn exception is from a one-way street into a one-way street. A car approaching from a two-way street cannot use it.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(C)(2)-(3): left turn from a two-way street; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
In South Carolina, your car faces a steady red right arrow and no sign prohibits the right turn. Does the law allow that turn after a full stop and proper yielding?
Correct answer: Yes; the permitted-turn exception covers this steady red signal.
South Carolina allows the specified right turn after stopping at any steady red signal unless a sign prohibits it. Yield to lawful pedestrians and traffic; do not apply another state’s blanket red-arrow rule here.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(C)(2)-(3): right turn at a red arrow; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
You stop a car on a one-way street and want to turn left into another one-way street in its permitted direction. No sign prohibits the turn. May you turn on a steady red signal?
Correct answer: Yes, cautiously, after yielding to lawful traffic and pedestrians.
Both the approach and receiving streets must be one-way for this car-driver exception. The full stop, signs and yielding requirements still apply.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(C)(3): one-way to one-way; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A sign prohibits turning right on red. Your car is stopped and the crossing is empty. What should you do?
Correct answer: Wait for a signal that permits the turn.
The red-turn exception does not apply when a sign prohibits the turn. An empty intersection does not cancel the posted restriction.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(C)(3): turn-prohibition sign; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
You have waited 120 seconds at a steady red light in an ordinary passenger car. Does the special waiting-time rule alone authorize driving straight through?
Correct answer: No; that exception is for motorcycles and mopeds, not cars.
The 120-second provision applies to motorcycles and mopeds under its stated conditions. Act 173 creates separate cyclist provisions, but neither gives an ordinary car this permission.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(C)(5)-(6): exceptions do not cover cars; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
An overhead lane-control signal is green above your lane. What does it indicate?
Correct answer: That lane is available for travel in your direction.
A lane-control signal governs the lane beneath it. It does not replace speed limits, intersection signals or the need to drive safely.
Source: South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 56 Chapter 5; Section 56-5-1015(a): green lane-control signal; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
The overhead lane-control signal above your lane changes to steady yellow. What is its meaning?
Correct answer: A lane-control change is taking place.
Steady yellow warns that lane use is changing. Pay attention to the control change and move to an allowed lane safely; do not treat it as an invitation to speed up.
Source: South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 56 Chapter 5; Section 56-5-1015(b): steady yellow lane-control signal; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A red lane-control signal is displayed over an otherwise empty lane. May you enter it to pass a queue?
Correct answer: No; traffic must not enter or travel in that lane.
The red indication closes the lane to your travel. Its empty appearance does not make it an available passing lane.
Source: South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 56 Chapter 5; Section 56-5-1015(c): red lane-control signal; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A flashing yellow lane-use signal is directly above a lane. For what purpose may you use that lane?
Correct answer: Approaching and making a left turn.
This is an overhead lane-use control, not an ordinary flashing-yellow intersection signal. South Carolina limits this lane’s use to approaching and making a left turn.
Source: South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 56 Chapter 5; Section 56-5-1015(d): flashing yellow lane-control signal; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A pedestrian started crossing on WALK and is partway across when WAIT appears. What should a turning driver expect?
Correct answer: The pedestrian may finish to the sidewalk or safety island.
WAIT prevents a new start, but a person who began on WALK continues to the sidewalk or safety island. Allow that crossing to finish safely.
Source: South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 56 Chapter 5; Section 56-5-990(2): pedestrian crossing already underway; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A cyclist stops at a steady red light, yields to all oncoming traffic posing an immediate hazard, then cautiously crosses while it remains red. Under the May 2026 law, is that necessarily a red-light violation?
Correct answer: No; the cyclist has a specific stop-and-yield exception.
Act 173 allows this cyclist movement after a complete stop and the required yielding. Drivers should not assume the old 120-second bicycle rule still applies or that the bicycle rule also applies to cars.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 1, amended 56-5-970(C)(6)(a): cyclist proceeding on red; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A cyclist slows at a stop sign. There is no immediate hazard and no pedestrian or lawful traffic requiring a yield. Must the cyclist always make a complete stop before cautiously proceeding?
Correct answer: No; the cyclist may proceed under the stop-as-yield conditions.
The cyclist must slow, stop if necessary to avoid an immediate hazard, and yield as required. This cyclist-specific rule does not remove a car driver’s duty to stop at the sign.
Source: South Carolina Act 173 of 2026, approved and effective May 18, 2026; Section 2, added 56-5-3530: cyclist at a stop sign; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
A police officer directs your lane to wait even though its traffic light is green. What should you do?
Correct answer: Follow the officer’s direction and wait.
A police officer may direct traffic differently from an ordinary traffic-control device. Obey that direction rather than assuming the light alone authorizes movement.
Source: South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 56 Chapter 5; Section 56-5-950(a): police direction; reviewed September 21, 2026. ↗
