Under what circumstances is it legal to block an intersection?

• A. You can legally block during heavy traffic
• B. You can block if directed by a police officer
• C. You cannot legally block an intersection
• D. You can block if you are turning left

Answer: (C)

Blocking an intersection is not allowed. The rule is to avoid entering an intersection unless you can clear it completely without stopping in the middle, so you don’t trap cross-traffic or block emergency vehicles. When traffic is congested, you should stop before the intersection line and wait, rather than pushing into the intersection and causing gridlock. The only time you would do something different is if a police officer directly directs you to block traffic as part of an official signal; in that case you follow the officer’s instructions. In normal driving, though, you cannot legally block an intersection.