Turns, lanes, passing and parking
You want to pass a slow vehicle on a two-lane road. Within what distance of an intersection, bridge, tunnel, or railroad crossing is passing NOT allowed?
- Within 100 feet. Correct answer
- Within 50 feet.
- Within 500 feet.
Why
Passing needs a long, clear stretch of road, and the places where other traffic can appear suddenly are exactly where the handbook forbids it: inside 100 feet of any intersection, of a bridge, a tunnel, a railroad crossing or anything else it treats as a hazardous area, plus crossroads and driveways, plus anywhere your view runs out. For a hill or curve, the handbook wants the crest or bend at least one-third of a mile ahead before you commit. Fifty feet is too little to mean anything at road speed; 500 feet is the headlight-dimming distance, not a passing rule. And whatever the distance, you may only pass when you have enough space to return to your lane.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is Within 100 feet.
The rule behind this one
Turns, lanes, passing and parking in California goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on turns, lanes, passing and parking
- In which situation may you pass another vehicle on its right?
- When you finish parallel parking, how far from the curb may your vehicle be at most?
- You are on the freeway and want to move into the next lane. How far ahead of the move should you signal?
- What are you allowed to do at a curb painted yellow?