Kentucky driving lesson · General Driving Maneuvers
Lanes, lane changes, merging & exiting
A 3-minute lesson from the Kentucky course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Choosing the right lane keeps traffic flowing and leaves room around you. Smooth driving also improves fuel economy. On a multi-lane road each lane has a job—and on a limited access highway, the left lane isn't for cruising.
Turn into the lane nearest you. From a street with two or more lanes, turn left from the lane nearest the center lane and right from the lane nearest the curb. Change lanes only after finishing the turn, when traffic is clear.
Areas around your vehicle you can't see in the mirrors. Check them by turning your head and looking over your shoulder in the direction you plan to move.
Entering a multi-lane highway: use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of traffic, find a gap, merge, and cancel your signal. Traffic already on the highway has the right-of-way.
You're cruising in the left lane of a three-lane interstate with no one to pass. Move right: the left lane is for passing, and staying in it on a limited access highway is illegal.
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.
On a road with three or more lanes in one direction, the left lane is generally for:
Slower-moving traffic
Passing or turning left
Trucks and buses only
Vehicles entering the highway
Answer: Passing or turning left
The left lane is for drivers who want to pass or turn left, while the right lane serves slower or entering/turning traffic.