Traffic Laws and Rules of the Road
Speed and right of way
Georgia sets default limits where nothing is posted: 30 mph in an urban or residential district, 35 mph on unpaved residential streets, 55 mph on roads outside urban districts, and up to 70 mph on interstate highways. Posted signs always control. At an intersection with no signs or signals, yield to the vehicle on your right; when turning left, yield to oncoming traffic going straight or turning right.
Stops and turns
At an all-way stop, first to arrive goes first; a tie goes to the driver on the right. A right turn on red is legal after a complete stop unless a sign forbids it, and you must still yield to pedestrians and traffic. Georgia also allows a left turn on red from a one-way street onto another one-way street.
Georgia rules candidates miss
- Hands-free law: holding a phone while driving is illegal; texting is illegal for all drivers; drivers under 18 may not use any wireless device.
- Move Over law: change lanes away from stopped emergency, tow, utility, or sanitation vehicles with flashing lights; if you cannot, slow down.
- School buses: stop at least 10 feet away; only oncoming traffic on a divided highway separated by a median is excused.
- Super Speeder: 75+ mph on a two-lane road or 85+ mph anywhere adds a $200 state fee.
- DUI: 0.08% for drivers 21 and over, 0.02% under 21; refusing a test triggers a one-year suspension under implied consent. 15 points in 24 months suspends a license.
Trap
Right-turn-on-red questions almost always hinge on the complete stop, not the turn itself.
Rule of thumb: at any intersection ask, "who has the sign or signal?" If no one does, yield to the right and to oncoming traffic when turning left.