If you plan to pass another vehicle, you should:
- Not assume the other driver will make space for you to return to your lane. ✓
- Assume the other driver will let you pass if you use your turn signal.
- Assume the other driver will maintain a constant speed.
Answer: A. Not assume the other driver will make space for you to return to your lane.
You should not assume the other driver will make room for you to return to your lane.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says that before passing you must look ahead for conditions that could cause other vehicles to move into your lane, and you should not pass unless you have enough space to get back into your lane. That means the room to return has to be there based on what you can see, not on another driver's cooperation. Signaling and speeding up are part of passing, but they do not create a guarantee that the other driver will help you.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Assume the other driver will let you pass if you use your turn signal. — Using a turn signal tells others what you plan to do; the passages do not say it makes the other driver let you pass or reserve space for you.
- C. Assume the other driver will maintain a constant speed. — The handbook tells you to watch for road conditions that may cause other vehicles to move into your lane, so you cannot count on the driver ahead holding a steady speed.
Remember it
Plan your pass around the space you can see, not around a favor you hope the other driver will do.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 6: Navigating the Roads, p. 24