Washington Traffic Laws and Rules of the Road
What to know cold
An instructor candidate must be able to state Washington rules with precision, because students will repeat what you say verbatim. Core areas: right-of-way at uncontrolled and four-way-stop intersections (first to stop, first to go; if simultaneous, yield to the vehicle on the right), the meaning of a steady vs. flashing signal, school-bus stop-arm rules on two-lane and multi-lane roads, pedestrian right-of-way in marked and unmarked crosswalks, and the state's basic-speed and maximum-speed framework. Know the graduated driver licensing structure: an instruction permit, then an intermediate license with passenger and nighttime restrictions, then a full license. Know the implied-consent concept, the under-21 alcohol thresholds, and the hands-free/distracted-driving expectations that apply to permit and intermediate holders.
Traps
Questions love edge cases: a flashing yellow arrow (yield, proceed when clear), a school bus on the opposite side of a divided highway (stop-arm rules differ by road configuration), and the difference between a marked crosswalk and an unmarked one at an intersection (pedestrians still have right-of-way). Another trap conflates "recommended" advisory speeds with legal limits, or assumes a right turn on red is always permitted (it is not where posted otherwise, and never against a red arrow).
Rule of thumb
Teach the hierarchy: signal → mirror → blind spot → position → speed, and pair every law with the reason behind it. If a student can explain why the rule exists, recall improves.
Worked example: At a four-way stop, two cars arrive at the same instant, one from your left. The other driver is on your left, so you yield - the tiebreaker is "yield to the right."