Driving left of center — Hawaii Permit Test

Driving left of center on the Hawaii permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

In Hawaii you may drive on the left half of the roadway when there is an obstruction in the road and oncoming vehicles are not using the left half.

A fallen tree in your lane would trap you if you could never cross the center line to go around it.

You may drive on the left half of the roadway when:

State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.26

In Hawaii you must not drive on the left half of a road that has four or more lanes for moving traffic, unless signs direct otherwise.

On a four-lane road the left half is full of oncoming cars at full speed.

You MUST NOT drive on the left half of the roadway when:

State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.26

In Hawaii you must not drive on the left half of the roadway when approaching the top of a hill or on a curve.

A driver coming over the crest from the other side cannot see you until it is too late to swerve.

You MUST NOT drive on the left half of the roadway when:

State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.26

In Hawaii you must not drive on the left half of the roadway within 100 feet of, or while passing through, an intersection or railroad crossing.

A car turning out of a side street looks right for traffic and never expects you in its lane.

You MUST NOT drive on the left half of the roadway when:

State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.26

In Hawaii you must not drive on the left half of the roadway within 100 feet of a bridge or tunnel when you cannot see vehicles coming from the other direction.

A car coming out of a dark tunnel has no room to dodge you on the narrow deck.

You MUST NOT drive on the left half of the roadway when:

State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.26

On the test

There is an obstruction in your lane on a two-way road. When may you use the left half of the road to get around it?

When oncoming vehicles are not using it. A fallen tree in your lane would trap you if you could never cross the center line to go around it. State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.26: “You may drive on the left half of the roadway when:”

How this works

Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.

You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.

Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.

What it costs

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Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, published by the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-05.