Michigan driving lesson · Signs, Signals, and Pavement Markings
Yellow lines and the center left-turn lane
A 2-minute lesson from the Michigan course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
If a solid yellow line is on your side of the center line, don't cross it to pass. On a four-lane divided road or a one-way road, a solid yellow line usually marks the left edge of the pavement.
Figure 5.6: Passing permitted or prohibited depends on which side the solid line is on
Know the rule
A double solid yellow line down the middle of a two-lane road means no passing in either direction. You may cross it to turn into a driveway, onto a crossroad or into a parking spot.
Left turns must be made from within the center lane and may be made from either direction. Using it to pass or as a merge lane is illegal and dangerous.
You want to turn left into a store on a road with a two-way center turn lane. Move into the center lane, then turn from inside it. Never use that lane to get around slow traffic.
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.
What do broken yellow lines in the center of a two-way road typically allow?
Passing when safe
No passing ever
Passing only for trucks
Passing only in daylight
Answer: Passing when safe
A single broken yellow line usually marks a center line where passing is allowed if it's safe.
