You should drive on the shoulder to pass a car:
- If the vehicle ahead of you is turning left.
- Under no circumstances. ✓
- If the shoulder is wide enough.
Answer: B. Under no circumstances.
You should not drive on the shoulder to pass a car under any circumstances.
Why this is the answer
The handbook describes passing as moving into the passing lane, speeding up, then signaling and returning to your lane. It allows passing on the right only in specific situations, such as when the driver ahead is turning left and you can safely pass on the right. It also says never to drive off the paved or main-traveled part of the road to pass. A shoulder is off that main-traveled part, so neither a left-turning car ahead nor a wide shoulder makes shoulder passing legal.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. If the vehicle ahead of you is turning left. — The rule that lets you pass on the right when the driver ahead is turning left does not allow you to leave the main-traveled road and use the shoulder.
- C. If the shoulder is wide enough. — A shoulder being wide enough does not change the rule against driving off the paved or main-traveled part of the road to pass.
Remember it
A shoulder is for stopping or emergencies, not for going around traffic; passing belongs in a lane on the main road.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 6: Navigating the Roads, p. 25