Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Road Markings

You see a painted median on an Oregon road bordered by double solid yellow lines on both sides. How may you use this area?

  1. A.
    Turn left across it after yielding. Correct
  2. B.
    Park in it during emergencies.
  3. C.
    Use it as a passing lane.
  4. D.
    Drive in it like a two-way left turn lane.
The Why

The answer is "Turn left across it after yielding."

A painted median with double solid yellow lines on both sides marks the area between opposing directions of travel. You may turn left across it after oncoming traffic clears, but you cannot drive, park, or pass in it; traveling in such a median is illegal. Where the median is filled with yellow diagonal stripes, that area is closed to vehicles and you may not drive into it or turn across it. Mistaking the painted median for a two-way left turn lane leads to D, though the manual treats that turn lane as a separate marking one may briefly enter only just before turning.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Park in it during emergencies.

A painted median separates opposing directions of travel. You may cross it to make a left turn after yielding, but it is not a lane and it is not a place to sit. This answer treats it as available parking.

C. Use it as a passing lane.

Traveling in a double-yellow median is illegal, and so is using it to pass. This answer confuses a double solid yellow painted median with a passing zone; double solid yellow lines forbid passing in both directions.

D. Drive in it like a two-way left turn lane.

A painted median with double solid yellow lines on both sides is not a turn lane; traveling in it is illegal. This answer confuses a painted median with a two-way left turn lane, which the manual treats as a separate marking you may briefly enter only just before turning.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Pavement Markings," p.23..

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