Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Road Markings

A two-way road has a double solid yellow centerline. What does the manual say about passing on this road?

Two parallel solid yellow lines running lengthwise down the center of a dark roadway.
  1. A.
    Passing is allowed whenever oncoming lanes are clear.
  2. B.
    Passing is not allowed in either direction of travel. Correct
  3. C.
    Passing is allowed only when no NO PASSING sign is posted.
  4. D.
    Passing is allowed for drivers headed downhill only.
The Why

The answer is "Passing is not allowed in either direction of travel."

Two solid yellow lines together forbid passing by drivers moving in either direction, whether or not a NO PASSING sign is posted; the marking itself carries the prohibition. A reader drawn to A is carrying over the judgment call that fits a broken centerline, where clear oncoming lanes can justify a pass, onto pavement that never permits one.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Passing is allowed whenever oncoming lanes are clear.

Clear oncoming lanes do not override a double solid yellow marking. This answer applies the broken-centerline judgment call to a solid double-line road.

C. Passing is allowed only when no NO PASSING sign is posted.

The absence of a sign changes nothing here; the marking itself prohibits passing. This answer treats the sign as the source of the rule instead of the pavement marking.

D. Passing is allowed for drivers headed downhill only.

The manual sets no downhill exception; the rule applies to traffic in either direction. This answer invents a slope-based exception that is not in the manual.

The Rule

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

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