Washington driving lesson · Lane Markings and Special Zones
Turn lanes, HOV, reversible, and toll lanes
A 3-minute lesson from the Washington course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Some lanes have a special job: turning, carrying carpools and buses, changing direction with rush hour, or charging a toll. Each is marked with its own signs and pavement markings, and each has rules about who may use it and how far.
Know the rule
Turn lanes are usually at major intersections, marked by signs and road markings, sometimes with an arrow signal. Once you're in a turn lane, you must follow through with the turn.
Shared center lanes are reserved for left turns in either direction, from or into the roadway (or U-turns where permitted). Watch oncoming cars: they can use the same lane.
HOV lanes are for carpools, vanpools, and buses. They're marked with a diamond symbol on signs and pavement and separated from other lanes by a solid white line.
Reversible lanes, like express lanes, switch direction on regular schedules that follow commuting patterns, or for major events or incidents. They're usually marked by double-dashed white lines; check the overhead signs before entering.
Express toll and high occupancy toll lanes are toll-free for buses, vanpools, carpools, and motorcycles. Solo drivers can pay the toll for a faster trip. A Good To Go! account is the best way to pay tolls in Washington.
You're alone in your car on a freeway with an HOV lane posted "2+". You may not use it. Later you see an express toll lane: driving alone, you can use it only by paying the toll.
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 symbol identifies an HOV lane?
A star symbol
A circle with a checkmark
A triangle emblem
A diamond symbol on signs and pavement
Answer: A diamond symbol on signs and pavement
HOV lanes are identified by a diamond symbol on both signs and the pavement.
