Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Lane Changes & Merging

You are changing lanes on a road with three or more lanes. What does the manual specifically tell you to do?

  1. A.
    Check only the lane you are moving into.
  2. B.
    Check every lane, not just the one you are moving into. Correct
  3. C.
    Change two lanes at once when traffic is light.
  4. D.
    Signal after you begin the lane change.
The Why

The answer is "Check every lane, not just the one you are moving into."

On a road with three or more lanes, the manual tells you to check every lane before moving, because a driver two lanes over may be aiming for the same spot you want. Choice A is the trap for drivers who learned lane changes on two-lane roads, where the target lane was the only other lane to worry about.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Check only the lane you are moving into.

That habit misses a driver two lanes away aiming for the same spot. This answer carries the two-lane road habit of checking only the target lane onto a road wide enough for a third driver to want the same gap.

C. Change two lanes at once when traffic is light.

Nothing in the manual authorizes crossing multiple lanes in one motion. This answer treats a quiet road as permission to skip the mirror-and-shoulder check the manual asks for on every lane change.

D. Signal after you begin the lane change.

The signal must go on before the move, not after. This answer matches the late-signal habit of using the blinker as a courtesy after moving, rather than the warning before moving that the manual describes.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Lane Changes & Merging in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "LOOKING BEHIND," p.38..

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