After you have passed a car, you may return to the right lane when you:
- See the front bumper of the other car in your rearview mirror. ✓
- Have put your turn signal on.
- Have turned your headlights on.
- See the other car's headlights turn on.
Answer: A. See the front bumper of the other car in your rearview mirror.
You may return to the right lane when you can see the front bumper of the car you passed in your rearview mirror.
Why this is the answer
The manual's passing steps say that after you move into the left lane and pass, you signal and check your interior rear-view mirror. You return to the right lane only when the front bumper of the car you passed is visible in that mirror. You also glance over your right shoulder to confirm there are several feet of pavement between your car and the passed car. A turn signal or lights alone do not show you have enough clear space.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Have put your turn signal on. — Putting on your turn signal announces your plan, but the handbook requires you to see the passed car's front bumper in your mirror before moving back.
- C. Have turned your headlights on. — Turning on your headlights has nothing to do with the space behind you; the manual uses the rear-view mirror check, not headlights, to judge the return.
- D. See the other car's headlights turn on. — The other car's headlights turning on does not tell you whether you have cleared it; the handbook points to seeing its front bumper in your mirror.
Remember it
Mirror first, bumper seen, then lane change: if the passed car's front bumper is not in your rear-view mirror, keep your lane.