When should you turn on your signal for a lane change?
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A.
Only when changing lanes at speeds above 45 mph.
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B.
Only if another driver is close behind you.
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C.
As you begin moving into the new lane.
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D.
In advance, before you begin moving into the new lane. Correct
The answer is "In advance, before you begin moving into the new lane."
The manual says to give proper signal in advance, before you change lanes, so the blinker goes on before your car begins to move over and traffic behind you has time to react. Choice C is what a driver picks up when they treat the turn signal as a running commentary on the lane change instead of a warning, which is a common habit but not what the manual asks for.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Only when changing lanes at speeds above 45 mph.
The manual attaches no speed threshold to the requirement. This answer reads a highway-only signal habit into a general rule that covers city driving too.
B. Only if another driver is close behind you.
The manual sets the timing rule for every lane change, not only for ones with traffic behind. This answer treats the signal as a courtesy for the driver behind, not as the manual's standing requirement.
C. As you begin moving into the new lane.
The manual's rule places the signal in advance of the move, not simultaneous with it. This answer uses the signal as a running commentary on the lane change rather than as a warning that precedes it.
This question tests your knowledge of Lane Changes & Merging in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "City Driving," p.63..
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