How far to the left of the vehicle you are passing does North Carolina law require you to pass?
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A.
At least four feet.
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B.
At least one full lane.
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C.
At least two feet. Correct
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D.
At least six feet.
The answer is "At least two feet."
State law requires the passing driver to pass at least two feet to the left of the vehicle being passed. Drivers who default to a 'change lanes entirely' habit reach for choice B, but the manual sets the minimum as a two-foot lateral gap, not a full lane width.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. At least four feet.
The manual sets the minimum at two feet, not four. This answer rounds the safety figure upward, a habit some drivers use with any number that sounds like a bare minimum.
B. At least one full lane.
Substitutes a lane width for the two-foot minimum the manual prints. This answer applies the everyday reflex of moving fully into the next lane, ignoring the specific distance the statute names.
D. At least six feet.
Six feet borrows from cyclist-passing rules published in other jurisdictions. This answer confuses the vehicle-passing minimum with the three- or six-foot buffer some states require when passing a bicycle.
This question tests your knowledge of Passing in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "Passing," p.55..
Related North Carolina questions
- A driver behind you sounds a horn to signal a pass. What does the manual require you to do? →
- You want to pass another vehicle on a hill or curve. What does the manual say you must have first? →
- In which of the following situations does North Carolina law allow you to pass another vehicle on the right? →
- On a three-lane highway with two-way traffic, and setting aside the left-turn exception, where does the manual say you may pass? →
- You return to your lane after passing another driver, and that driver has to brake to let you back in. What does the manual say about your pass? →
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