You're making an ordinary pass of another vehicle on a two-lane Oregon road. On which side do you pass?
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A.
To the left of the vehicle ahead. Correct
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B.
On the right, when the shoulder is wide enough to pass safely.
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C.
On the right.
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D.
Either side, depending on which is faster.
The answer is "To the left of the vehicle ahead."
On a two-lane road, you must pass to the LEFT of the vehicle ahead. The pass cannot begin before the start of a passing zone, and it must be completed before you enter a no-passing zone. Passing on the right is allowed only in narrow circumstances on multi-lane roads or when the vehicle ahead is signaling a left turn. B trips up drivers who read a wide shoulder as authorization, borrowing the multi-lane right-side exception and treating shoulder width as the trigger for a two-lane pass.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. On the right, when the shoulder is wide enough to pass safely.
A wide shoulder does not authorize a right-side pass on a two-lane road; the rule is left only. The right-side exception applies on multi-lane roads, or when the lead vehicle has signaled a left turn and there is room without leaving the paved lane or entering a bike lane. This answer conflates the multi-lane passing-on-the-right condition (sufficient paved space to the right when the lead vehicle is turning left) with two-lane passing, treating shoulder width as a license to pass on the right.
C. On the right.
Passing on the right is allowed only on multi-lane roads or when the lead vehicle is turning left, not as the default on a two-lane road. This answer confuses the narrow right-side passing exception (multi-lane road or vehicle signaling a left turn) with the default rule for two-lane roads.
D. Either side, depending on which is faster.
Speed does not determine the side; the rule is left for two-lane passes. This answer substitutes a speed-based choice for the fixed directional rule the manual states for two-lane roads.
This question tests your knowledge of Passing in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Passing," p.31..
Related Oregon questions
- There's a solid yellow line on your side of the centerline. Are you allowed to pass? →
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- You're driving on an Oregon two-lane road in a no-passing zone. Are there ANY circumstances in which you may legally cross the center line? →
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