Iowa permit test: lanes, passing & merging
Lane choice, changing lanes, blind spots, passing rules and merging. 5 questions.
On a two-lane road, the center line has a solid yellow line on your side and a broken yellow line on the other side. May you pass?
Keyboard: press 1–4 or A–D to answer, Enter for the next question, S to save, R to read aloud, P to pause reading, L to listen and answer.
Sample lanes, passing & merging questions
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On a two-lane road, the center line has a solid yellow line on your side and a broken yellow line on the other side. May you pass?
- A No, because the solid line is on your side
- B Yes, if no oncoming car is in sight
- C Yes, but only to pass a slow farm vehicle
- D No, and the other side cannot pass either
Show answer
A. No, because the solid line is on your side
When a solid and a broken yellow line run together, the line nearest you decides. A solid line on your side means no passing, while drivers with the broken line on their side may pass when safe.
Under Iowa rules, how close to an intersection may you pass another vehicle?
- A No closer than 100 feet
- B No closer than 50 feet
- C No closer than 200 feet
- D No closer than 500 feet
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A. No closer than 100 feet
Passing is illegal within 100 feet of an intersection, a railroad crossing, or a signed narrow bridge, viaduct or tunnel. Vehicles can enter or turn in these places, leaving you no room to get back.
You are passing a car on a two-lane road. When is it safe to move back into your lane?
- A As soon as your front bumper is past its front bumper
- B When you see the front of that car in your rearview mirror
- C When the other driver flashes their headlights
- D Once you are alongside the other car's driver
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B. When you see the front of that car in your rearview mirror
Return to your lane when you can see the front of the car you passed in your rearview mirror and you are well clear. Signal, move back gently and cancel your signal.
On a road with three or more lanes in your direction and a lot of entering traffic, which lane is best?
- A The far right lane
- B The far left lane
- C The center lane
- D Whichever lane is moving fastest
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C. The center lane
On roads with three or more lanes, stay in the right or center lane except to pass. When a lot of traffic is entering, the center lane keeps you out of the merge area.