Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Lane Changes & Merging

On a multilane road with moving traffic, the California manual tells you to:

  1. A.
    Stay in one lane as much as possible Correct
  2. B.
    Use whichever lane moves fastest at the moment
  3. C.
    Change lanes often to keep an escape route open
The Why

The answer is "Stay in one lane as much as possible"

Stay in one lane as much as possible and avoid weaving in and out of traffic. The frequent-lane-change instinct behind C leans on a defensive-driving idea the printed guidance does not endorse for freeway travel, treating the very pattern the manual warns against as an escape.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Use whichever lane moves fastest at the moment

Lane-hopping to catch the fastest lane is the weaving pattern the manual warns against. This answer treats freeway lanes as competing options rather than a shared traffic pattern.

C. Change lanes often to keep an escape route open

Frequent lane changes raise collision risk instead of creating an escape. This answer applies a defensive-driving instinct the printed guidance does not endorse for freeway travel.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Lane Changes & Merging in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Changing Lanes," p.15..

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