On a three-lane highway, where does the manual say you may pass?
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A.
In the center lane, where marked for your direction. Correct
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B.
Only in the lane closest to the shoulder.
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C.
In the left lane, as on a divided highway.
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D.
In any lane, as long as the pavement is clear ahead.
The answer is "In the center lane, where marked for your direction."
On a three-lane highway, passing is limited to the center lane, and only where that lane is marked for passing in your direction. The manual states one exception: when the vehicle in the center lane is making a left turn, you may pass it. Choice C tempts drivers who carry the interstate habit of staying far left to pass onto an undivided three-lane road, where the center lane does that job instead.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Only in the lane closest to the shoulder.
The shoulder-side lane is not the permitted passing lane: the manual names the center lane marked for passing in your direction, with a stated exception when the center-lane vehicle is turning left. Reads the pass-on-the-right exception that applies on highways with two lanes in each direction as if it set the rule for a three-lane highway.
C. In the left lane, as on a divided highway.
A three-lane highway is not a divided road: the manual names the center lane, not the left lane, as the passing lane, with the stated left-turn exception. Carries the interstate habit of staying far left to pass onto an undivided three-lane road, where the leftmost lane is not the one marked for passing.
D. In any lane, as long as the pavement is clear ahead.
A clear view ahead is one requirement for safe passing, not the whole permission: the manual still restricts you to the center lane marked for passing in your direction, except when the center-lane vehicle is making a left turn. Carries the two-lane country-road rule of thumb that a clear oncoming lane is permission enough, and skips the extra lane-marking requirement the manual lays on three-lane roads.
This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "Chapter 4, Your Driving, Passing," p.55..
Related North Carolina questions
- A solid yellow line in your lane tells you what? →
- Between opposing lanes, a double-solid yellow line means what about passing? →
- The three-lane passing rule has one exception. What is it? →
- A solid yellow line runs along your side of the lane divider. May you cross it to pass the vehicle ahead? →
- What should you observe to choose the appropriate lane before entering a multi-lane roundabout? →
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