A double solid yellow line down the center of a two-lane road indicates:
- Lanes are moving in opposite directions and drivers are not permitted to pass. ✓
- Lanes are moving in opposite directions and drivers are permitted to pass when it is safe to do so.
- Lanes are moving in the same direction and drivers are not permitted to pass.
- Lanes are moving in the same direction and drivers are permitted to pass when it is safe to do so.
Answer: A. Lanes are moving in opposite directions and drivers are not permitted to pass.
A double solid yellow line down the center means the lanes carry traffic moving in opposite directions and you are not allowed to pass.
Why this is the answer
The handbook tells you to keep to the right of the yellow center line and says you may cross a broken line to pass, but you must not cross a solid yellow line. Since a center line separates traffic going opposite ways, a double solid yellow discourages passing in both directions. The passage does not spell out the phrase "double solid yellow," but it does state the rule that solid yellow lines are not to be crossed, which is what the answer rests on.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Lanes are moving in opposite directions and drivers are permitted to pass when it is safe to do so. — Passing is not allowed here because the line is solid, so being safe at the moment is not enough to justify crossing it.
- C. Lanes are moving in the same direction and drivers are not permitted to pass. — A yellow center line separates lanes moving in opposite directions, not lanes going the same way.
- D. Lanes are moving in the same direction and drivers are permitted to pass when it is safe to do so. — Both parts are wrong: the lanes go opposite ways, and a solid line may not be crossed to pass.
Remember it
Yellow tells you oncoming traffic is on the other side; when it is solid, treat it as a wall you stay right of.