Free independent study reference with original examples. Not official exam questions or personal legal advice. Follow current provincial rules and on-site directions.
Free practice: Right of way, pedestrians and emergency vehicles →Recognize the crossing without relying on paint
At an intersection without traffic lights, the handbook gives pedestrians in the crosswalk right of way. An unmarked crossing follows the implied crossing space at the intersection. The absence of zebra stripes does not turn it into a place where drivers may ignore a crossing pedestrian.
Do not extend that statement into “every point along every street is a crosswalk.” This reference concerns crossings at intersections and marked crossings elsewhere. The location and any traffic controls remain part of the question.
Source: Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook — current complete edition ↗A green light does not clear a turning path
Where pedestrian signals exist, pedestrians follow them. Without pedestrian signals, they follow the applicable traffic signals and should not begin during red or yellow. A driver turning across a pedestrian’s authorized path must yield.
If the light changes while a pedestrian is still crossing, allow the person to finish safely. Do not pass another vehicle stopped at a crosswalk to let a pedestrian cross; the vehicle may be hiding the person you need to see.
Source: Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook — current complete edition ↗Identify the pedestrian conflict before moving
Original worked cases
Unpainted intersection: a pedestrian is crossing in the implied crosswalk at a junction without signals. There are no white stripes. The missing paint does not remove the driver’s yielding duty.
Right-turn case: you have a green signal, but a pedestrian is crossing your turning path with the applicable walk signal. Wait rather than treating your green light as an exclusive right to turn.
Blocked-view case: the next lane is stopped at a crosswalk. You cannot see why. Do not overtake the stopped vehicle; check for a pedestrian rather than assuming the lane is simply slow.
Separate permission to start from time to finish
A practice answer can be wrong because it confuses when pedestrians may start crossing with the driver’s duty toward someone already crossing. Read the signal state and the pedestrian’s position separately.
The free right-of-way questions cover these conflicts. Traffic-signals practice helps distinguish pedestrian control from a driver’s green light. Section 2.1.8 of the current handbook is the source for this learning reference.
Source: Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook — current complete edition ↗