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DMV Permit · Pavement Markings

Broken white lines between two lanes traveling in the same direction mean:

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Lane changes are permitted when safe; same direction of travel

  1. A Oncoming traffic
  2. B Reduce speed
  3. C Lane changes are permitted when safe; same direction of travel
  4. D Lane changes are not permitted

Why this is the answer

Broken (dashed) white lines separate two lanes traveling in the same direction. They indicate lane changes are permitted when safe — when there is room, no vehicle in the lane you are moving to, and visibility allows. Solid white lines between two lanes of the same direction discourage but do not necessarily prohibit lane changes; treat them as 'do not cross unless you really need to'. Yellow lines (in either solid or broken form) separate traffic moving in opposite directions: broken yellow allows passing when oncoming traffic is clear; solid yellow on your side prohibits passing across the line. Double solid yellow prohibits passing in both directions.
Source: MUTCD Section 3B Lane Markings

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About this topic: Pavement Markings

Yellow separates opposing traffic, white separates same-direction lanes. Solid lines say 'do not cross casually'; broken lines say 'cross when safe'. Edge lines (fog lines) mark the limit of the traveled lane. This is one of 8 Road Signs questions on pavement markings, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our DMV Permit exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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