When passing on a multilane highway:
- Be sure the passing lane is clear. ✓
- Pass only on the right.
- Watch for oncoming traffic.
- There is no need to signal.
Answer: A. Be sure the passing lane is clear.
Before passing on a multilane highway, be sure the passing lane is clear.
Why this is the answer
The manual's passing sections focus on making sure the lane you move into is available. For a right-side pass on a multilane road, it tells you to check your mirrors, use the correct signals, and look over your shoulder for other vehicles. Its left-pass section also says to move completely into the left lane. So before you pass, confirm the lane you will use is clear.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Pass only on the right. — The manual describes both left and right passing procedures; it does not say to pass only on the right, and when overtaking a bicyclist it requires passing on the left at a safe distance.
- C. Watch for oncoming traffic. — The passages do not list watching for oncoming traffic as the key step for passing on a multilane highway; they emphasize checking the lane you will enter and signaling.
- D. There is no need to signal. — The manual requires turn signals or hand-and-arm signals before a lane change, so passing without signaling is wrong.
Remember it
Treat a passing lane like an empty seat: look before you take it.