Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Defensive Driving

When driving past parked cars on an Oregon street, what does the handbook recommend?

  1. A.
    Cross into the next lane to give yourself the most room.
  2. B.
    Speed up past the parked cars to spend less time alongside them.
  3. C.
    Stay close to the parked cars to give the lane to your left.
  4. D.
    Move away from the parked cars within your lane. Correct
The Why

The answer is "Move away from the parked cars within your lane."

Keep extra space between your vehicle and parked cars by moving away from them without leaving your lane. A door may open in your path, or someone may step out from between parked vehicles. The cushion buys you time to react. Adjust your position within the lane instead of crossing the line. A is the trap for drivers who drop the 'without leaving your lane' qualifier and treat the cushion as a full lane change.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Cross into the next lane to give yourself the most room.

The handbook says move away within your lane, not leave it. Adjust lane position, don't change lanes. This answer drops the 'without leaving your lane' qualifier and treats the cushion as a lane change.

B. Speed up past the parked cars to spend less time alongside them.

The rule is about lateral spacing, not getting past faster. Speed doesn't help if a door opens or someone steps out. This answer substitutes a speed-based evasion for the manual's lateral-spacing instruction near parked cars.

C. Stay close to the parked cars to give the lane to your left.

The opposite: move away from parked cars to leave room for opening doors and pedestrians stepping out. This answer reverses the rule: the manual says move away from parked cars, not toward them.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Side Space Cushion," p.28..

More from this topic

Related Oregon questions

More than a book

You just took one Oregon question apart. The book does it for the whole test.

The Oregon book unlocks a free companion: an adaptive study plan, progress synced across your devices, a denser laminate cheat sheet, and a test-day walkthrough. Verify your copy once, usually in seconds; there's nothing extra to buy.

Get the book on Amazon

$18.99 paperback, free companion included.

Free study plan

Your free Oregon study plan

A short run of study emails for the Oregon DMV test: what to drill, the rules people trip on, and a final pre-test checklist. The printable cheat sheet is free to grab either way.

One email a few times a month. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.