Cars Drivers Bus Stop Person Turn Left Learning

Driving in the United States is much like driving in any other country, but there are some common road rules that you may not be familiar with. Here are a few of them.

In the United States, if you are following a "school bus" (a large, yellow bus that is used to take children to and from their home and school), you must stop when it stops. It is "illegal" (against the law) to "pass" (drive past) a school bus when it is stopped. This is because cars might hit children who get off the bus and cross the street without looking both ways. Most school buses have warning messages written on the back, reminding drivers that it is illegal to pass a stopped bus.

Drivers also need to "yield" (slow down or stop to let another person or vehicle move) to "pedestrians" (people who are walking). If a person is crossing the road in front of a car, the driver should slow down or stop to let that person continue moving. Most American drivers do that, but "nevertheless" (even though this is true) pedestrians should walk with "caution" (care for one's safety) and never "assume" (believe that something is true) that a car will stop.

At an "intersection" (the place where two streets meet), cars that want to turn left have to wait for cars coming from the other direction to leave the intersection first. A "Boston left," the practice of making a left turn quickly before cars from the opposite direction, is illegal. Drivers need to wait until all of the cars coming in the other direction have crossed the intersection before turning. In some cities, the traffic lights include a green "arrow" (ß), which comes before the green light for the cars in the opposite direction. In this case, it is permitted to turn left before the opposing cars.