Key South Carolina facts: Right-of-Way
Nobody gets the right-of-way automatically; each intersection has to be judged by the situation there. Section 6, Rules of the Road, Yielding Right-of-Way, p. 6-1 (PDF p. 60) While a school bus is stopped or about to stop with red or amber lights flashing or its stop arm out, you must stay stopped; once the lights are off and the arm is gone, go slowly and watch for children. Section 7, General Driving, Rules for School Buses, p. 7-8 (PDF p. 83) You need not stop for a school bus in a loading zone completely off the main travel lanes where pedestrians may not cross the road. Section 7, General Driving, Rules for School Buses, p. 7-9 (PDF p. 84) Compared with ordinary intersections, roundabouts remove head-on crashes and fast crashes at right angles, which makes them safer. Section 7, General Driving, Roundabouts and Traffic Circles, p. 7-8 (PDF p. 83) Be ready to yield to pedestrians wherever they cross, crosswalk or not. Section 10, Sharing the Road, Pedestrians, p. 10-1 (PDF p. 110) Sample Right-of-Way questions
At a restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) intersection, how do side-street drivers go left?
Turn left directly across the median Back up to the previous intersection Drive straight across the main road Turn right, then make a U-turn at a median opening Show the answer
Turn right, then make a U-turn at a median opening
RCUTs remove left turns and through moves from the side street, which cuts down conflict points.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 7, General Driving, Restricted Crossing U-turn (RCUT), p. 7-6 (PDF p. 81)
According to the manual, may you assume you have the right-of-way when the rules seem to give it to you?
No, always consider the situation Only at stop signs Yes, the rules guarantee it Yes, on main roads Show the answer
No, always consider the situation
Right-of-way rules guide who should yield, but no one has it automatically.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 6, Rules of the Road, Yielding Right-of-Way, p. 6-1 (PDF p. 60)
Why are roundabouts safer than traditional intersections?
They remove head-on and fast right-angle crashes They need no signs or pavement markings They have no speed limits inside the circle They let drivers keep their highway speed Show the answer
They remove head-on and fast right-angle crashes
By removing head-on and high-speed right-angle crashes, roundabouts are safer than ordinary intersections.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 7, General Driving, Roundabouts and Traffic Circles, p. 7-8 (PDF p. 83)
When may you go past a stopped school bus without stopping?
When no children can be seen near it When its amber lights are flashing on a two-lane road When you are running late for work When it is in a loading zone off the road where no one may cross Show the answer
When it is in a loading zone off the road where no one may cross
A bus completely off the main lanes, in a zone where pedestrians may not cross the road, does not require you to stop.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 7, General Driving, Rules for School Buses, p. 7-9 (PDF p. 84)
A school bus ahead is preparing to stop with its amber lights flashing on a two-lane road. What does the manual require?
Change lanes and continue at the same speed Stop while it is stopping or stopped with lights flashing Pass quickly before the red lights come on Slow down and honk to warn the driver Show the answer
Stop while it is stopping or stopped with lights flashing
You must stop the whole time a bus is stopped or preparing to stop with red or amber lights flashing or its stop arm out.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 7, General Driving, Rules for School Buses, p. 7-8 (PDF p. 83)
What is the main feature of a diverging diamond interchange?
Traffic keeps to the right side throughout It works without any traffic signals Left turns do not cross oncoming through traffic All traffic must stop at a four-way stop Show the answer
Left turns do not cross oncoming through traffic
Traffic shifts to the left side between the crossovers, so left turns onto or off the ramps avoid oncoming vehicles.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 7, General Driving, Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI), pp. 7-5-7-6 (PDF pp. 80-81)
You are behind a horse-drawn buggy on a rural road. What should you expect it might do?
Move onto the left shoulder to let you pass Speed up to 40 mph Stop only at traffic lights Turn left into a field or driveway Show the answer
Turn left into a field or driveway
Anticipate left turns by animal-drawn vehicles, and pass only with caution.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 10, Sharing the Road, Slow-Moving Vehicles, p. 10-16 (PDF p. 125)
Your light has just turned green. What should you do before moving into the intersection?
Wait for the driver behind to wave Honk to warn others Make sure the path is clear of crossing traffic Go at once, since you have the right-of-way Show the answer
Make sure the path is clear of crossing traffic
Avoid moving immediately on green. Check that no one is still crossing and your path is clear.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 7, General Driving, Intersections, p. 7-5 (PDF p. 80)
A bike path crosses the road you are on. Who has the right-of-way?
Bicyclists on the path The larger vehicle You, as a motor vehicle Whoever is faster Show the answer
Bicyclists on the path
Yield the right-of-way where a bicycle path or lane crosses the road.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 10, Sharing the Road, Bicyclists, p. 10-3 (PDF p. 112)
On a rural road you reach a single-lane bridge as another car approaches from the far side. Who usually goes first?
The bigger vehicle The car going downhill The first driver to reach the bridge The driver who honks first Show the answer
The first driver to reach the bridge
Drivers take turns on narrow bridges, and generally the first one there has the right-of-way.
Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 11, Special Driving Situations, Rural Road Driving, p. 11-5 (PDF p. 130)
Take this topic's test
More South Carolina practice
Full practice test All topics, as in the knowledge test Road Signs What signs mean and what to do when you see them 90 questions, 12 on South Carolina rules Traffic Signals Lights, arrows and pedestrian signals 30 questions, 11 on South Carolina rules Lanes & Turns Lane markings, turns, passing and merging 34 questions, 12 on South Carolina rules Speed Limits Limits and how to adjust your speed 21 questions, 10 on South Carolina rules Parking Curb colors, hills and where you can't park 29 questions, 10 on South Carolina rules Safe Driving Following distance, weather, night driving and sharing the road 67 questions, 24 on South Carolina rules Alcohol & Drugs Blood alcohol limits, DUI rules and medication 29 questions, 15 on South Carolina rules Emergencies Breakdowns, emergency vehicles and railroad crossings 31 questions, 14 on South Carolina rules License Rules Permits, restrictions for new drivers and points 31 questions, 31 on South Carolina rules Insurance & Collisions Required coverage and what to do after a crash 21 questions, 11 on South Carolina rules Phones & Distraction Phone rules and other distractions 18 questions, 11 on South Carolina rules
Share this test
Copy link
Email
About these questions
We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the South Carolina Driver's Manual (Edition linked from SCDMV's Beginner's Permit page; no revision date is printed (the cover page of the 06/2024 edition is gone) and the file was last modified 2026-04-01 (server date), read 2026-11-09. Compared with the 06/2024 edition it adds the South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act (pp. 3-4 to 3-5), a 30-day permit holding period for applicants 18 or older (p. 1-5) and shorter route-restricted license lists; the rest of the text is the same, with some pages shifted. Pages are cited as printed (section-page, e.g. 1-4) with the PDF page. Where the manual gives no value, the South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 56, Chapter 5 (scstatehouse.gov, read 2026-11-09) and SCDMV web pages are the source. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.
DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV), and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.
