Michigan driving lesson · Right-of-Way, Passing, and Turning
Passing safely and when you can't pass
A 4-minute lesson from the Michigan course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Passing on a two-lane road puts you face to face with oncoming traffic, so Michigan sets hard limits: how far to stay from oncoming cars, when you may pass on the right, and a list of places passing is forbidden.
Passing on the left:
Have a clear view of the left lane, with oncoming traffic far enough away
Don't cut back in until you see the entire vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror
Allow extra room when pulling a trailer
Pass only one vehicle at a time
Don't follow too closely when another vehicle is passing slower traffic
Use extreme caution when passing in the center lane of a three-lane road — an oncoming driver may be doing the same. Passing or merging in that lane is prohibited if it's marked for left turns only.
On a two-lane road, the car ahead stops at a crosswalk. You can't see why, but there's room to go around. Don't — a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk may be letting a pedestrian cross, and passing it is prohibited.
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 pulling back into your lane after passing, what should you see?
Just the front bumper of the vehicle you passed
The whole vehicle in your rearview mirror
Just the taillights, no need for the full vehicle
Your side mirror only, not the rearview
Answer: The whole vehicle in your rearview mirror
Don't cut back into the right lane until you can see the entire vehicle you're passing in your rearview mirror.
