The manual sets a default rule for driving in the left lane on an interstate or controlled freeway. What is it?
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A.
Use the left lane whenever the shoulder is closed.
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B.
Drive in the left lane through your trip to stay clear of merging traffic.
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C.
Do not drive in the left lane except when passing another vehicle. Correct
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D.
Use the left lane only when your speed matches the posted limit.
The answer is "Do not drive in the left lane except when passing another vehicle."
On an interstate or controlled freeway, the manual bars left-lane driving except when passing, with listed exceptions: no other vehicle is directly behind you, traffic congestion, weather, an obstruction or hazard in the right lane, or a lane change to yield to emergency or construction vehicles. Drivers who stay in the left lane to skip on-ramp merges pick B, a habit that conflicts with the manual's passing-only default unless a listed exception applies.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Use the left lane whenever the shoulder is closed.
A closed shoulder alone is not on the manual's exception list; the passing-only default still applies unless a listed condition, such as no vehicle behind you, traffic congestion, weather, a right-lane hazard, or a lane change to yield to emergency or construction vehicles, is present. This answer comes from the habit of moving over the moment a work-zone sign appears ahead, before checking whether the right lane itself is actually blocked.
B. Drive in the left lane through your trip to stay clear of merging traffic.
The manual bars continuous left-lane driving on an interstate; you belong in the right lane unless you are passing or a listed exception, such as no vehicle behind you or a right-lane obstruction, applies. This answer carries over the habit of staying left to skip repeated on-ramp merges.
D. Use the left lane only when your speed matches the posted limit.
The manual keys the rule to whether you are passing, not to your speedometer reading. This answer applies an out-of-state convention where matching the posted limit is treated as license to hold the left lane.
This question tests your knowledge of Lane Changes & Merging in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Lane Usage," p.29..
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