Passing — Pennsylvania Permit Test

Before you move back into your lane after passing, make sure you can see both headlights of the vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror.

Seeing both headlights is the proof you have left that driver enough room.

Before you move back into the lane, make sure you can see both headlights on the front of the vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror.

Passing on a two-lane road at 45 miles an hour needs about a quarter mile of clear road, because you must use the lane belonging to oncoming traffic.

You are borrowing the oncoming lane, and the loan has to be paid back before anybody arrives.

At 45 mph, this translates into 1/4 mile of clear roadway you need to safely pass a slower vehicle.

To pass safely you need to be traveling about 10 miles an hour faster than the vehicle you are passing.

Any less and you are alongside them for far longer than the gap allows.

You need to be going about 10 mph faster than the vehicle(s) you are passing.

You may not pass within 100 feet of, or while crossing, any intersection or railroad grade crossing, unless a traffic control device says you may.

Both are places where somebody may pull into the lane you are borrowing.

You are within 100 feet of or are crossing any intersection or railroad grade crossing, unless an official traffic control device says you may.

You may not pass within 100 feet of any bridge, elevated structure or tunnel.

There is no shoulder and no room to abort the pass in any of them.

You are within 100 feet of any bridge, elevated structure or tunnel.

You may not pass when you are approaching or on a curve or a hill crest that restricts your view of oncoming traffic, or when you are on the shoulder of a multi-lane highway.

In each of those places the road looks clear right up to the moment it is not.

You are approaching or are on a curve or a hill crest (top) restricting your view of oncoming traffic.

You may pass on the right when the driver ahead is making or signaling a left turn, and the passing driver must stay on the berm or shoulder.

The turning car is not going where you are, but it may be hiding somebody who is.

When the driver you are passing is making or signaling a left turn, the driver of the passing vehicle must stay on the berm or shoulder.

It is illegal to pass a vehicle ahead of you in an acceleration lane.

The lane exists to get you up to speed, not to sort out an order of arrival.

It is illegal to pass a vehicle ahead of you in an acceleration lane.

Passing is most dangerous at night, because you cannot see as far ahead and it is harder to judge distances; headlights alone make an oncoming vehicle look further away than it is.

A pair of headlights tells you almost nothing about how fast they are closing.

It is most dangerous to pass at night because you cannot see as far ahead, and it is more difficult to accurately judge distances.

What should you see before pulling back in after a pass?

Both headlights of the passed vehicle in your mirror. Seeing both headlights is the proof you have left that driver enough room. PA Driver's Manual, p.47: “Before you move back into the lane, make sure you can see both headlights on the front of the vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror.”