Turns, lanes, passing and parking
Traffic lanes are often referred to by number. On a road with several lanes in your direction, which one is the Number 1 Lane?
- The far-left lane, also called the fast lane. Correct answer
- The far-right lane, the one closest to the curb.
- The lane just to the right of the fast lane.
Why
Lane numbers count from the left. The left, or fast, lane is the Number 1 Lane, the one to its right is Number 2, then Number 3, and so on across the road. The lane just right of the fast lane is therefore Number 2, and the curb lane carries the highest number. The order lines up with the handbook's lane tips: the left lane is for passing or turning left, while the right lane is for entering or leaving traffic and for pulling onto the road from a curb or shoulder. On a multilane road, the far-left passing lane is also the one closest to the center divider.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is The far-left lane, also called the fast lane.
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
- You are parked at the curb and about to pull out onto a street with several lanes in your direction. Which lane do the handbook's tips point you to?
- Coming from a two-way street, you turn left onto a one-way street that has three lanes going your way. In which lane may you finish the turn?
- You are coming up on the street where you meant to turn, but you are in the wrong lane and the lane beside you is full. What should you do?
- Signs mark the right-hand lane of a street for public transit buses only. Which of these may you do in your car?