Question

Difficulty: MediumPassing, Overtaking, and Lane Changing Rules

A driver is traveling on a two-lane rural highway behind a slow-moving agricultural vehicle. The road markings consist of a solid yellow line on the driver's side of the roadway center and a broken yellow line on the opposite side. Which of the following statements accurately describes the legal passing rule in this situation?

  1. The driver must remain in their lane and not pass, because a solid yellow line on the driver's side indicates a no-passing zone.Answer
  2. B
    The driver may legally cross the solid yellow line to pass if they increase their speed up to 10 mph over the posted speed limit to complete the maneuver quickly.
  3. C
    The driver may pass the slow vehicle because the presence of any broken yellow line permits passing in either direction.
  4. D
    The driver may cross the solid line to pass provided the maneuver is completed within 100 feet of an upcoming road intersection.

Answer

The driver must remain in their lane and not pass, because a solid yellow line on the driver's side indicates a no-passing zone.
When center line markings consist of a solid yellow line paired with a broken yellow line, traffic adjacent to the solid line is prohibited from passing. The driver must remain in their lane behind the slower vehicle.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the center pavement marking relative to the driver's lane
The driver's side features a solid yellow line, while the oncoming side features a broken yellow line.
Pavement line rules depend on the marking adjacent to the vehicle's travel lane.
2
Apply statutory lane marking rules for solid vs. broken center lines
A solid yellow line on the driver's side prohibits passing for vehicles traveling in that direction.
Traffic laws restrict crossing solid center yellow lines to prevent collisions where sight distance is restricted or passing is unsafe.

Key Concept

Centerline pavement markings and passing restrictions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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