South Carolina permit test: lanes, passing & merging
Lane choice, changing lanes, blind spots, passing rules and merging. 5 questions.
A slow car is ahead of you on a two-lane road with a wide paved shoulder. May you pass on the shoulder?
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
A slow car is ahead of you on a two-lane road with a wide paved shoulder. May you pass on the shoulder?
- A Yes, if the shoulder is paved and clear
- B Yes, if you keep your speed below 25 mph
- C No, never pass on the shoulder, paved or not
- D Yes, if the car ahead is turning left
Show answer
C. No, never pass on the shoulder, paved or not
The shoulder is for emergency stopping, not through traffic, so never use it to pass, whether it is paved or not. On multi-lane roads, use the left lane to pass slower vehicles.
After passing a car, when is it safe to move back into its lane?
- A As soon as your rear bumper clears its front bumper
- B When you can see its whole front in your rearview mirror
- C When the other driver flashes headlights
- D After counting two seconds beside the car
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B. When you can see its whole front in your rearview mirror
Keep passing until the complete front of the passed vehicle is visible in your rearview mirror. Then signal, check over your shoulder and steer smoothly back into the lane.
Where does the manual say you should not try to pass?
- A On a straight road with a dashed yellow line
- B When the car ahead is going under the limit
- C Just before a railroad crossing or a bridge
- D In the left lane of a four-lane highway
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C. Just before a railroad crossing or a bridge
Do not pass when an oncoming vehicle is approaching, when a curve or hill blocks your view, at intersections, or before a railroad crossing or bridge. These places give you no room or time to finish safely.
Traffic is backing up ahead of a 'lane closed' sign in a work zone. What does the zipper merge ask you to do?
- A Move over as soon as you see the sign
- B Stop in your lane until the open lane is completely clear of cars
- C Use the shoulder to pass the backup
- D Stay in your lane to the merge point, then take turns merging
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D. Stay in your lane to the merge point, then take turns merging
When traffic is heavy and slow before a lane closure, use both lanes up to the merge point, then take turns easing into the open lane. Zipper merging reduces backups by as much as 40 percent and cuts road rage.