What does a single dashed white line separating traffic mean?
- Drivers may pass, even if it could be dangerous.
- Lanes move in opposite directions.
- Drivers may not pass.
- Drivers may pass if it is safe to do so. ✓
Answer: D. Drivers may pass if it is safe to do so.
A single dashed white line means you may pass or change lanes when it is safe to do so.
Why this is the answer
The Texas handbook says broken or dashed lines allow you to pass or change lanes, provided the move is safe. It contrasts this with a solid yellow line on your side, which marks a no-passing zone. The line in the question is dashed, so the permission to pass applies, but the handbook keeps the safety condition attached. That is why the correct choice is passing only when conditions make it safe, not passing whenever you want.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Drivers may pass, even if it could be dangerous. — The handbook ties permission to pass on a dashed line to safety, so it does not allow passing when the move could be dangerous.
- B. Lanes move in opposite directions. — The passages describe broken white lines in the context of lanes on a one-way road and do not say a dashed white line means traffic moves in opposite directions.
- C. Drivers may not pass. — A no-passing restriction is tied to a solid yellow line on your side, while broken or dashed lines permit passing when safe.
Remember it
A dash is permission with a safety check, not a free pass.
Official handbook: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Chapter 5: Signals, Signs, and Markers , p. 34