Which of the following are used on some highways to direct drivers into the proper lanes for turning?
- Flashing red lights
- Flashing yellow lights
- White lines on the side of the road
- White arrows in the middle of the lanes ✓
Answer: D. White arrows in the middle of the lanes
White arrows painted in the middle of the lanes are used on some highways to direct drivers into the correct lanes for turning.
Why this is the answer
The pavement markings section of the manual says arrows show which lanes you must use. Its example is a turn: you can turn right only from the right lane, and to go straight you must be in the left lane. It adds that you need to be in the correct lane before you reach the solid line separating the lanes. So painted lane arrows are the marking that steers you into the right lane for a turn. Lane-use lights above the pavement are a separate signal system and are not the markings described for this purpose.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Flashing red lights — The manual's lane-use lights use a red X to mean do not drive in that lane, and it does not describe flashing red lights as lane-direction markers.
- B. Flashing yellow lights — The overhead lane-use signal the manual describes is a flashing yellow X for a left-turn-only lane, not a plain flashing yellow light that guides you into a turn lane.
- C. White lines on the side of the road — White lines are described as separating lanes or marking reserved lanes, not as the marking that tells you which lane to turn from.
Remember it
Picture the arrow painted on the pavement: it points at the lane you must already be in before the solid line starts.