Traffic Signs & Signals — Vermont

The center portion of the lane often contains an oily or greasy strip. The manual describes the center third of the lane as the place where oil drippings and debris from cars collect, forming a grease strip. It says the typical center strip usually gives enough traction when the road is dry, and you can ride to either side of the grease buildup while staying within that center third. It also warns against riding on large oil and grease buildups, such as those at busy intersections or tollbooths. That makes the oily or greasy strip the thing often found in the center portion.

A proper lane position should do everything listed except help you avoid traffic signals — you still have to obey them, and the manual never lists them as a reason for choosing a lane position. The manual gives a list of what your lane choice should help you do: raise how well you see and are seen, keep you out of other drivers' blind spots, dodge surface hazards, communicate your intentions, avoid windblast from other vehicles, give you an escape path, and set you up for turns. Traffic signals are not on that list, and nothing in the passages suggests a lane position lets you skip them. Lane position is about visibility, space and communication, not about getting around the signals that control the road.