When passing other vehicles:
- Check your mirrors and blind spots. ✓
- Honk your horn at least three times.
- Re-enter your lane within 10 feet of the passed vehicle.
- There is no need to signal.
Answer: A. Check your mirrors and blind spots.
When passing other vehicles, check your mirrors and blind spots.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's passing steps begin with looking in the rearview mirror, checking your side mirrors, and glancing over your shoulder into the blind spot to confirm the roadway is clear and nobody is already passing you. A related passage adds that you should not linger in another driver's blind spot, since that driver likely cannot see you there. Checking mirrors and blind spots before you pull out is what tells you it is safe to start the pass.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Honk your horn at least three times. — The handbook says to tap your horn when necessary to alert the driver ahead, not to honk a set number of times.
- C. Re-enter your lane within 10 feet of the passed vehicle. — You should stay in the left lane until you have safely cleared the vehicle and can see it in your rearview mirror, so a fixed 10-foot return is not the rule given.
- D. There is no need to signal. — The handbook directs you to turn on your left turn signal before passing and your right signal when returning, so signaling is required.
Remember it
Before you swing out to pass, do the mirror-and-shoulder check first, then signal.