Philadelphia Drivers License Practice Test

What should you do if your turn signals are not functioning?

1. Use your hazard lights

2. Use hand signals

3. Drive cautiously until they are fixed

4. Only turn at intersections

The correct answer is: Use hand signals

When your turn signals are not functioning, using hand signals is the appropriate course of action. Hand signals effectively communicate your intention to other road users, just as turn signals do. This is crucial for maintaining safety on the road, as it's important for other drivers and pedestrians to understand your next move—such as turning or stopping—to prevent confusion or potential accidents. Hand signals have specific meanings: extending your left arm straight out indicates a left turn, while raising your left arm with the elbow bent upward signifies a right turn. If you need to stop, you can bend your arm downwards with your palm facing backward. Employing these signals allows you to clearly convey your intentions, helping to ensure the safety of everyone on the road until your vehicle's turn signals can be repaired. While hazard lights are useful for alerting others to a stopped or slow vehicle, they do not communicate specific directional intent like hand signals do. Driving cautiously is a good general practice but does not provide the necessary communication required for turns. Lastly, restricting your driving to only turning at intersections is impractical and does not solve the issue of non-functioning signals while driving. Therefore, hand signals are the most effective option in this scenario.