Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Passing

There's a solid yellow line on your side of the centerline. Are you allowed to pass?

  1. A.
    Yes. Yellow center lines don't restrict passing.
  2. B.
    No. A solid yellow line on your side means no passing. Correct
  3. C.
    Yes, but only if no oncoming traffic is visible.
  4. D.
    Yes, if the broken yellow line is on the other side of the road.
The Why

The answer is "No. A solid yellow line on your side means no passing."

When a solid yellow line is on your side of the centerline, you are in a no-passing zone and may not pass. The rule is read from your side of the line outward. The other side of the road may have a broken yellow allowing oncoming drivers to pass; that doesn't help you. D snags drivers who read the opposite side's broken yellow as their own green light, instead of applying the rule from their own side of the lane.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Yes. Yellow center lines don't restrict passing.

Yellow center lines do restrict passing; the pattern (solid vs. broken) on your side of the lane tells you whether passing is allowed. This answer ignores that the solid-vs-broken pattern of the yellow center line is exactly what governs passing.

C. Yes, but only if no oncoming traffic is visible.

A solid yellow line on your side prohibits passing regardless of whether oncoming traffic is visible. This answer substitutes a clear-sightline test for the line-pattern rule that actually controls passing.

D. Yes, if the broken yellow line is on the other side of the road.

The rule is read from your side of the line, not the other driver's. A broken yellow on the opposite side lets oncoming drivers pass; it does not give you permission when your side is solid. This answer reads the other direction's broken yellow as your permission to pass, instead of applying the rule from your own side of the lane.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Passing in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Pavement Markings," p.22..

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