Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Road Markings

A three-lane road has a center lane bordered by an outside solid yellow line and an inside broken yellow line on each side. How may drivers use this center lane?

  1. A.
    Only as a merge lane for entering traffic
  2. B.
    Only to pass slower vehicles
  3. C.
    Only to make left turns Correct
  4. D.
    As a shared travel lane in either direction
The Why

The answer is "Only to make left turns"

The outside solid yellow line means the center lane cannot be used for passing; the inside broken yellow lines mean traffic from either direction may enter the center lane only to make left turns. B tempts a driver who reads any center lane as a passing lane and overlooks what the outer solid boundary is telling them.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Only as a merge lane for entering traffic

Merge lanes are on entrance ramps and are marked differently; this is a left-turn lane. This answer imports highway on-ramp merging into a mid-block turn-lane setup.

B. Only to pass slower vehicles

The outside solid yellow line specifically forbids using the center lane for passing. This answer reads any center lane as a passing lane and ignores the outer solid boundary.

D. As a shared travel lane in either direction

The center lane is not a through-travel lane; it is a turn refuge only. This answer mistakes the two-way striping for shared open travel.

The Rule

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

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