Signs, signals and pavement markings
On a highway with lane-use control lights above the pavement, a steady yellow X lights up over the lane you are driving in. What should you do?
- Move out of that lane. Correct answer
- Use that lane only to make a left turn.
- Keep driving in that lane; it is open to you.
Why
Some highways hang special lights over the pavement to show which lanes may be used at certain times, and each symbol has its own meaning. A steady yellow X tells you to move out of that lane. A flashing yellow X means something different: the lane may be used only for a left turn. A green arrow is the one that tells you the lane is yours to use, and a steady red X means you must not drive in the lane at all. The two X lights differ by color alone, with yellow telling you to leave the lane and red telling you not to be in it at all.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is Move out of that lane.
More on signs, signals and pavement markings
- The center of a two-way road is marked with double solid lines. You want to turn left into a driveway on the other side. What does the manual say?
- A solid white edge line marks where the travel lane ends and the shoulder begins. When may you drive across it?
- A solid line and a broken line run side by side between you and oncoming traffic. The broken line is on your side. What does this allow?
- A single solid line separates your lane from the lane next to it. When may you pass or change lanes across it?