Turns, lanes, passing and parking
You are passing a slow vehicle on a road with a 55 mph limit, and to finish quickly you would need to reach 62 mph. What does the manual say?
- You may not go over the speed limit, even to pass. Correct answer
- You may exceed the limit briefly while you complete the pass.
- You may exceed the limit by up to 10 mph while passing.
Why
The manual is direct about it: you must not go over the speed limit to pass another vehicle. Passing is a maneuver you choose to make, and if it can only be completed by speeding, it is not one you should start. There is no allowance for a short burst over the limit, and there is no margin of a few miles per hour for passing. The rest of the chapter points the same way: pass only when it is necessary and safe, check your mirrors, signal, and look over your left shoulder before moving into the left lane. A pass that cannot be completed inside the limit is a pass you do not make.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is You may not go over the speed limit, even to pass.
- Chapter 6 / How to Pass, page 39
- Chapter 6 / How to Pass › How to Pass on the Left, page 39
More on turns, lanes, passing and parking
- You park on a hill next to a curb. Besides setting the parking brake and putting the transmission in Park, how should you turn your front wheels?
- You stop to pick someone up and want to wait at the curb 10 feet from a fire hydrant. Under state rules, when is that allowed?
- You want to park near an intersection controlled by a STOP sign. What is the closest you may legally park to the STOP sign?
- There is a fire station driveway on the opposite side of the street from where you want to park. What is the closest you may park to it?