Signs, signals and pavement markings
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?
- You may pass if it is safe and you will not interfere with traffic. Correct answer
- You may cross only to make a left turn into a driveway.
- Nothing; a solid line anywhere in the pair forbids passing from both sides.
Why
With a solid line and a broken line together, each side of the pair gets its own rule, and the line nearest to you is the one that applies to you. On the broken-line side you may pass when it is safe and you will not interfere with traffic. On the solid-line side you may not pass or cross, except to turn left into a driveway. The second answer is therefore the rule for the other side of the road, not yours. The third answer treats the pair as if it were double solid lines, which is the marking that prohibits passing for both directions. Whenever the two lines differ, the one painted next to your lane is the one that governs you.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is You may pass if it is safe and you will not interfere with traffic.
More on signs, signals and pavement markings
- A single solid line separates your lane from the lane next to it. When may you pass or change lanes across it?
- On a city street, a lane marked with a diamond symbol is reserved for buses and high-occupancy vehicles. Your car does not qualify. Where the solid line beside it becomes a broken line, when may you enter that lane?
- Your traffic light is green, but a traffic officer standing in the intersection signals you to stop. What must you do?
- Ahead of you is a yellow, diamond-shaped sign with black symbols. What kind of sign is it?