MTO Road Safety & Traffic Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A driver approaches an intersection where traffic signals are not working. What should they do?
- Treat it as a four-way stop (Correct answer)
- The driver with the fastest speed has priority
- Yield only to vehicles on your right
- Proceed slowly without stopping
Correct answer: Treat it as a four-way stop
When traffic signals are inoperative, all drivers must treat the intersection as a four-way stop.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of rumble strips on a highway?
- Alert drowsy or inattentive drivers they are leaving the lane (Correct answer)
- Mark the boundary between state jurisdictions
- Slow vehicles approaching a toll booth
- Indicate the speed limit has changed
Correct answer: Alert drowsy or inattentive drivers they are leaving the lane
Rumble strips produce vibration and noise to alert drivers who are drifting out of their lane.
Question 3: Under the Safe System approach adopted by many US transportation agencies, which factor is considered the most critical in preventing fatal crashes?
- Safe roads and roadsides
- Safer speeds (Correct answer)
- Safer vehicles
- Post-crash care
Correct answer: Safer speeds
The Safe System approach places safer speeds at the center because speed determines crash energy and survivability.
Question 4: A driver is traveling at 60 mph and needs to brake suddenly. Compared to traveling at 30 mph, stopping distance is approximately:
- Four times greater (Correct answer)
- Twice as great
- Three times greater
- The same — modern ABS equalizes it
Correct answer: Four times greater
Stopping distance increases with the square of speed, so doubling speed roughly quadruples the stopping distance.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a Proven Safety Countermeasure recognized by the FHWA?
- Median cable barriers on divided highways (Correct answer)
- Posting advisory speed signs only
- Widening lanes beyond 12 feet
- Removing roadside trees
Correct answer: Median cable barriers on divided highways
Median cable barriers are an FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasure shown to significantly reduce cross-median crashes.
Question 6: What does a flashing yellow arrow signal at an intersection indicate?
- Left turns are permitted but drivers must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians (Correct answer)
- Left turns are prohibited
- Left turns have a protected phase — no yielding required
- Proceed straight through only
Correct answer: Left turns are permitted but drivers must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
A flashing yellow arrow means left turns are allowed but drivers must yield to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians.
Question 7: Road diet conversions typically reduce crashes by converting a four-lane undivided road to:
- Two travel lanes, a center two-way left-turn lane, and bike lanes (Correct answer)
- Three lanes in one direction during peak hours
- One-way operation
- A fully grade-separated interchange
Correct answer: Two travel lanes, a center two-way left-turn lane, and bike lanes
A road diet reduces conflict points by replacing the inner lanes with a shared center turn lane and often adds bike lanes.
MTO Road Safety & Traffic Management 2
A driver approaches an intersection where traffic signals are not working.
What should they do?