West Virginia driving lesson · Signs, Signals, and Markings
Pavement markings
A 3-minute lesson from the West Virginia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Lines on the road work like signs. Their color tells you which way the traffic beside you is moving, and whether the line is broken or solid tells you whether you may cross it.
Know the rule
WHITE lines separate lanes moving in the SAME direction. YELLOW lines separate traffic moving in OPPOSITE directions.
Solid yellow on your side: you MUST NOT pass. On interstates, one-way streets and divided four-lane roads, a solid yellow line marks the left edge of the pavement.
Center left-turn lanes, marked by solid yellow lines nearest the through lanes with broken lines inside, are for left turns from either direction, never for through travel or passing.
Reversible lanes are marked on both sides by double broken yellow lines. This is the only case where you may drive any distance to the left of a yellow line.
A wide white stop line across your lane marks where to stop at an intersection. With no stop line or crosswalk, stop before entering the intersection where you can see traffic from all directions.
On a two-lane road you're behind a slow truck. On your side of the center there's a solid yellow line next to a broken one. The solid line is on your side, so you may not pass, even if the road looks clear.
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 on your side of the road mean?
You must never pass
The road is one-way only
You may pass when it is safe
You are entering a school zone
Answer: You may pass when it is safe
Broken yellow lines separating opposite-direction traffic allow passing on your side when safe.
