This chapter is about reading the road itself: what different lane markings mean (solid vs. broken, yellow vs. white), how lanes are numbered, and the special-purpose lanes you'll encounter — carpool/HOV lanes, center left-turn lanes, bike lanes, and turnouts. It then moves into the maneuvers you build on top of that — changing lanes, turning, making U-turns, merging, and passing.
The most-tested material is matching each line type to what it allows (a broken yellow line means passing may be safe when it's next to your lane; a double yellow or double white line means don't cross), plus the specific conditions for a legal U-turn versus a prohibited one, and where you're allowed to pass on the right versus only on the left. Parking adds another dense layer: colored curb meanings, and which direction to turn your wheels when parked facing uphill versus downhill.
A common mistake is treating all yellow or all white lines the same, when solid vs. broken and single vs. double each carry a different rule. Another is misreading colored curbs, or forgetting that parking is illegal in several specific situations (near a fire hydrant, on a sidewalk ramp, in a crosswalk) even if no sign is posted. When you're pulled over by law enforcement, the expected sequence — signal, move fully onto the shoulder in a well-lit spot, stay in the vehicle, hands visible — is also a frequently tested point.
When can I legally make a U-turn?⌄
It depends on the setting — U-turns are allowed in some residential and intersection situations but prohibited near curves, railroad crossings, in business districts (except at intersections), and anywhere "NO U-TURN" is posted.
What do the different curb colors mean?⌄
Each color signals a different rule — for example, some colors mean loading/unloading only, some mean time-limited parking, some mean no stopping at all, and blue is reserved for disabled parking placards or plates.