Chapter 7 · Lesson 1 of 38

Yellow and white lane markings

3 min read · Safe Vehicle Operation

Figures in this lesson

Two-lane road with a solid yellow line
Two-lane road with a broken yellow line for no passing zones in one direction at a time.
Four-lane road with a solid yellow line
Three lanes of traffic with broken white lines
On this page
  1. Explanation
  2. Example
  3. Common mistake
  4. What the manual says

Explanation

Lane markings separate traffic and show when you may pass.

  • Yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions.
    • Broken yellow on your side: you may cross it to pass when it is safe.
    • Solid yellow on your side: don’t cross it, except to turn.
  • White lines separate traffic going in the same direction. Most roads with more than two lanes use broken white lines between lanes.
    • Broken white: you may cross it to change lanes when it is safe.
    • Solid white: don’t cross it.

Example

On a two-lane country road the center line is a broken yellow line on your side and solid on the other. You may pass a slow car when it is safe; drivers coming the other way may not.

Common mistake

Mixing up the colors. Yellow means the traffic on the other side is coming toward you; white means it is going your way.

What the manual says

Yellow lane markings separate multiple lanes of traffic going in opposite directions. You may cross a broken yellow line to pass another vehicle when it is safe, but you should not cross a solid yellow line except to turn.

White lane markings separate multiple lanes of traffic going in the same direction.

You may cross a broken white line when it is safe to change lanes, but you should not cross a solid white line.

Sources

  • Manual p. 37

    “Yellow lane markings separate multiple lanes of traffic going in opposite directions.”

  • Manual p. 37

    “You may cross a broken yellow line to pass another vehicle when it is safe, but you should not cross a solid yellow line except to turn.”

  • Manual p. 37

    “White lane markings separate multiple lanes of traffic going in the same direction.”

  • Manual p. 37

    “You may cross a broken white line when it is safe to change lanes, but you should not cross a solid white line.”

Check your understanding

Question 1 of 3

Yellow lane markings separate lanes of traffic that are: