A 4-minute lesson from the Utah course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Freeways move people fast and safely, but they have their own rules. Speeds are higher, lane changes need more care, and Utah's I-15 express lanes have special entry rules.
On the freeway:
Keep at least a two-second following distance; more in bad conditions
U-turns are illegal
Don't drive in the emergency lane outside the solid white line; passing or picking people up there is illegal
Match the speed of traffic, but never exceed the posted limit, even when exiting
Never use an entrance ramp to exit, even in a traffic jam
Pass only when safe
In the left lane, move right when a vehicle approaches from behind
Change lanes only to pass, exit, or get into the lane for an upcoming route split
You can be cited for impeding traffic if a vehicle is following you in the left lane of a multi-lane highway and you don't change lanes to let it pass.
Exiting: move to the exit lane early, keep a steady speed on the main road, then signal, move into the deceleration lane, slow down, check the posted exit speed, and cancel the signal.
Crossing a double white line is illegal. Enter or leave the express lane only at access points with white dotted striping (about 3,000 feet long, at nearly every interchange). Exit one interchange before your exit.
Single-occupant vehicles must buy an express pass through UDOT with an account linked to a credit or debit card. A windshield transponder is charged by the current rate and distance.
Ramp meters have only red and green lights and let one vehicle go per green (unless posted). A lighted 'meter on' sign at the on-ramp entrance shows metering is in effect; if it isn't lit, enter as usual.
You're alone in your car on I-15 with no express pass. You stay out of the express lane. With a passenger, you could use it free, crossing in and out only where the white lines are dotted.
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 minimum following distance should you maintain on the freeway?
At least one second
At least two seconds
At least five seconds
At least one car length regardless of speed
Answer: At least two seconds
You should always maintain at least two seconds of following distance on the freeway.
