A broken yellow line between two lanes of traffic means:
- Both lanes of traffic are going in the same direction.
- Passing is permitted when it's safe. ✓
- Passing is not permitted.
Answer: B. Passing is permitted when it's safe.
A broken yellow line means passing is permitted when it is safe, as long as the broken line is next to your lane.
Why this is the answer
The handbook explains that a broken yellow line sits between lanes of traffic going in opposite directions, and it lets you cross it to pass when the broken line is on your side of the road. The same passage adds the condition: only pass when it is safe. So the broken line gives permission, but it does not remove your duty to check that the pass can be made safely.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Both lanes of traffic are going in the same direction. — Lanes going the same direction are marked with white lines, such as broken white lines or a single solid white line, not a yellow one.
- C. Passing is not permitted. — Passing is barred by solid yellow lines on your side, or by double solid yellow lines, not by a broken yellow line.
Remember it
Yellow separates opposite directions; if the line is broken on your side, the door to pass is open but only after you check it is clear.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 6: Navigating the Roads, p. 13