Driver's License Test Prep
California Practice Road Markings

Broken white lines on a roadway are used to:

A single broken white dashed line running lengthwise down a dark roadway.
  1. A.
    Separate traffic lanes going in the same direction Correct
  2. B.
    Mark the boundary between opposing directions of travel
  3. C.
    Warn drivers that a school crosswalk is ahead
The Why

The answer is "Separate traffic lanes going in the same direction"

Broken white lines divide lanes traveling the same direction, and a driver may change between them when it is safe. Choice B is a color slip; the mental image of a marking that separates opposing traffic is anchored to yellow paint, and drivers who scan for that concept miss that the line in front of them is white.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Mark the boundary between opposing directions of travel

Opposing directions are marked with yellow, not with any form of white line. This answer chases the opposing-traffic image without noticing it belongs to yellow paint, not white.

C. Warn drivers that a school crosswalk is ahead

Crosswalk warnings come from signs and the crosswalk itself, not from broken white lane lines. This answer reads pavement stripes as warning cues rather than as lane dividers.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Broken White Lines," p.14..

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