Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Road Markings

You're driving on a downtown street in an Oregon city and see a lane painted solid red with the words 'BUS ONLY' marked inside it. May you drive there to bypass slow traffic?

Wide horizontal band of solid red pavement bordered by thin white stripes on top and bottom, on a dark roadway.
  1. A.
    Yes; red markings show where any vehicle may enter to turn, park, or reach a driveway.
  2. B.
    No; red pavement marks a fire lane that must stay clear for emergency vehicles.
  3. C.
    Yes; red lanes are HOV lanes you may use during rush hour.
  4. D.
    No; the lane is reserved for transit vehicles only. Correct
The Why

The answer is "No; the lane is reserved for transit vehicles only."

A solid red lane is a Transit Only lane, not for cars. Buses, light rail trains, and sometimes bikes travel there; you may not use it to bypass traffic. Striped red lines are different: they show where you may enter the Transit Only lane to turn, park, or enter a driveway. The trap is mixing up the two patterns, so memorize solid versus striped. Not all Transit Only lanes are red, so always look for signs or other markings on the road.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Yes; red markings show where any vehicle may enter to turn, park, or reach a driveway.

That rule belongs to striped red lines, which show where you may enter the Transit Only lane to turn, park, or enter a driveway. A solid red lane is not for cars. This answer applies the striped red rule (enter the Transit Only lane to turn, park, or enter a driveway) to a solid red lane, which the manual closes to cars entirely.

B. No; red pavement marks a fire lane that must stay clear for emergency vehicles.

The conclusion is right but the reason is not. Red pavement markings designate Transit Only lanes for buses, light rail, and sometimes bikes; they do not mark fire lanes. This answer reads red pavement as a fire-lane or emergency-access marking; the manual says red markings designate where transit only vehicles may travel continuously.

C. Yes; red lanes are HOV lanes you may use during rush hour.

Red markings designate lanes where transit only vehicles may travel; they are not HOV lanes, and no rush-hour exception opens them to cars. This answer confuses a solid red transit lane with an HOV lane; the manual says red markings designate where transit only vehicles may travel continuously, not high-occupancy car traffic.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Pavement Markings," p.25..

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