Colorado: Traffic Controls, Signals & Lane Rules Questions
5 real, verified Colorado driving-test questions on traffic controls, signals & lane rules, each with the correct answer and a full explanation below. Want to practice these interactively instead? Start a Traffic Controls, Signals & Lane Rules practice round.
1. What are Colorado's HAWK signals, and how do they alert motorists?
Why: HAWK signals (High Intensity Activated Crosswalk signals) let pedestrians cross the road safely at locations without a full traffic signal, operating in a yellow-to-red flashing sequence to alert motorists that pedestrians need to cross.
2. Before entering a Colorado roundabout, what must a driver yield to even if they would otherwise have the right-of-way?
Why: Colorado law requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to the driver of a truck, bus, emergency vehicle, or recreational vehicle (a large vehicle) when that large vehicle is entering, exiting, or driving in the roundabout at the same time, even overriding a driver's normal right-of-way.
3. What is a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI), as described in the Colorado Driver Handbook?
Why: A Diverging Diamond Interchange crosses traffic to the opposite side of the road across the interchange, giving vehicles uninterrupted left-turn movements onto the freeway ramps and eliminating the conflicts of a standard four-way interchange.
4. How long before a turn or lane change must a Colorado driver signal in an urban area, versus on a fast four-lane highway?
Why: A Colorado turn signal must be on continuously for 100 feet before turning or changing lanes in urban areas, and for 200 feet on four-lane highways where the posted speed limit is faster than 40 mph, then cancelled within 3 seconds of completing the turn.
5. How should drivers merge during a Colorado "Zipper Merge" when a lane closure is ahead?
Why: In a Zipper Merge, drivers in both lanes are expected to continue using both lanes fully and alternate, car by car, into the remaining open lane just before the point of closure -- waiting until just before the lane ends is the correct, courteous way to merge, not cutting in line.
More Colorado Topics
- DUI, DWAI & Impaired Driving (5)
- Licensing Process & @HOME Testing (5)
- Minor & Graduated Driver Licensing (6)
- Mountain, Rural & Seasonal Driving (3)
- Parking, Crashes & Enforcement (4)
- Railroads, Light Rail & Emergency Vehicles (5)
- Sharing the Road: Bicycles & Motorcycles (4)
- Signs, Roundabouts & Special Lanes (3)
- Other Topics (2)
Rules and requirements change — always confirm current details with Colorado DMVbefore your exam. Take the full Colorado practice test or check the Colorado cheat sheet.