Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Road Markings

A single broken yellow line runs down the center of a two-way roadway. What does it permit a driver to do?

A single broken yellow dashed line running lengthwise down the center of a dark roadway.
  1. A.
    Pass slower traffic by briefly crossing into the oncoming lane when the way is clear Correct
  2. B.
    Make left turns from the center lane in either direction of travel
  3. C.
    Drive in the oncoming lane whenever traffic in the driver's own lane is heavy
  4. D.
    Straddle the line to share the roadway with wide oncoming vehicles
The Why

The answer is "Pass slower traffic by briefly crossing into the oncoming lane when the way is clear"

A single broken yellow center line permits passing when the way is clear. A driver may briefly cross into the oncoming lane to pass slower traffic and then return. The trap is the answer that treats this line as a two-way left-turn lane; those lanes are marked with outer solid yellow lines paired with inner broken yellow lines, and a driver who learned that pattern first can reach for it here.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Make left turns from the center lane in either direction of travel

A two-way left-turn lane uses outer solid yellow with inner broken yellow, not a lone broken center line. This answer grabs the compound arrangement that identifies a shared turning corridor as if it applied here.

C. Drive in the oncoming lane whenever traffic in the driver's own lane is heavy

The marking permits passing only when the way is clear, not whenever traffic in the driver's own lane feels heavy. This answer reads a safety condition as a convenience allowance the driver may claim in congestion.

D. Straddle the line to share the roadway with wide oncoming vehicles

The line separates opposing traffic and does not authorize straddling or sharing the center. This answer treats a divider as shared pavement whenever an oncoming vehicle looks wide.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.01 (Broken Yellow Center Line)..

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