Traffic Question 16:

How can you make the traffic light turn green faster?

  1. Keep creeping forward
  2. Flash your headlights
  3. Make a phone call
  4. Nothing; you can’t change its timing

Moliner's Answer:

More than likely, you are already on the phone, so....

A. Creep forward

The aliens who live in and control the traffic light will see that you are in a hurry and make the light change faster. Option B would work, too, except the aliens ignore flashing lights.

But of course, if you’re not already on the phone, option C is great for passing the time while waiting.

Note:

  • Some lights have faries or leprechauns living in them instead of aliens.
  • Even if you're several cars away from the light, you should creep up some more, every 10-20 seconds, until you're right on the bumper of the car ahead of you.

 

Conventional Answer

D. Be patient

As long as you have already triggered the sensor, there’s nothing you can do to change the light’s timing.

There are several technologies of sensors, but the only one I recall ever seeing in Moline is the inductive loop. You can see where the sensor is by looking for the cuts in the pavement. An inductive sensor is triggered by the presence of metal, not by movement.

Here's a pretty clear description of how inductive sensors work: auto.howstuffworks.com

Tags

Traffic Question 15: Mailing a letter

Traffic Question 15:

During a period of heavy traffic, you want to mail a letter and then head in the direction of the pink arrow. How do you do it?

  1. Stop at Mailbox A, then do a U turn
  2. Park in a spot near Mailbox A, then turn left out of the parking lot
  3. Use Mailbox A, then use the left turn lane at the intersection to do a legal U turn
  4. Turn right at the main street, turn left into the parking lot for Mailbox B, then go through the intersection in the desired direction

Traffic Question 14: A traffic light turns yellow and you’re not quite going to make it through before it turns red... what do you do?

Traffic Question 14:

A traffic light turns yellow and you’re not quite going to make it through before it turns red... what do you do?

  1. Stomp on the gas pedal and zoom through
  2. Continue through the intersection without any change in speed
  3. Wait until the last second and then stomp on the brake
  4. Start coming to a gradual stop immediately
  5. None of the above

Traffic Question 9: If you get a phone call while you’re driving, what do you do?

traffic-09q.pngTraffic Question 9: If you get a phone call while you’re driving, what do you do?

A. Answer it right away

B. Wait until you get to a stop light and call back.

C. Stop at a stop sign and call back.

D. See who it is. If you think it might be an emergency, park the car in a designated parking area and then call back.

(Yes, this is pretty similar to #2 If you get a text while you’re driving... The main difference is, texting on the phone is illegal whereas talking on the phone is legal. At least in Moline.)

Traffic Question 12: Which of the following are factors in whether or not a vehicle is going to be slower than normal?

Traffic Question 12:

Which of the following are factors in whether or not a vehicle is going to be slower than normal?

* Car is Buick, Cadillac, or similar type

* One or more children are present

* Vehicle is a minivan

* Age of driver is over 60

* Handicapped license plates

* Driver is using cell phone

* Vehicle is a "sporty" color

* Driver is female

Traffic Quiz 6: Is it possible to back out of a driveway and use only one lane?

traffic-06q.pngTraffic Question 6:

The blue dots indicate the path used to pull IN the driveway.

Is it possible to back out of a driveway and head in the direction indicated by the pink arrow, using only one lane of the road?

A. No, one lane is not enough room.

B. Yes, it can be done in one lane.