Alaska driving lesson · Passing & No-Passing Zones
How to pass safely
A 3-minute lesson from the Alaska course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Collisions from improper passing are often fatal because the impact force is so great. Whether to pass is your decision: be patient, since passing is not a game, and follow the same steps every time.
Check mirror and blind spots before you pass
Passing step by step:
Stay well back from the vehicle ahead for better sight distance; check your mirror
Signal a left turn and move to the left lane
Check well ahead for no-passing zones and oncoming vehicles
Sound your horn to warn the driver ahead that you're passing
Pass on the left at a safe distance
Don't return to the right lane until you're safely clear of the vehicle you passed
You're behind a slow RV on a two-lane highway with a clear, dashed-yellow stretch ahead. Drop back, check mirrors, signal left, tap your horn, pass without exceeding the limit, and return only when you can see the RV's front in your mirror.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Before passing, what should you check first?
The posted speed limit only
Your mirrors and blind spots
The speed of the car ahead only
Your horn and headlights
Answer: Your mirrors and blind spots
Check your rearview mirror and blind spots before you start to pass.
