Highway Driving
Learn the key concepts before practicing exam questions.
In this topic you'll learn:
- How to choose your lane, check blind spots, and change lanes safely
- How and when to pass, and when passing is illegal
- How to merge onto a highway and exit it
- How to handle weave zones, curves, and hills
Drive in the centre of your lane, and choose your lane early. Don't leave lane changes to the last minute.
Your mirrors can't show everything beside you. The areas they miss are your blind spots. Set your mirrors to keep them small: frame the rear window in the inside mirror, and just see the edge of your own car in each side mirror.
To change lanes:
- Make sure a lane change is allowed.
- Check the inside and outside mirrors.
- Shoulder check the blind spot on the side you're moving to.
- Signal.
- Move over when safe, keeping your speed.
- Turn the signal off.
Driver's Guide pp. 70–71
- Slower traffic keeps to the right lane, unless turning left. The left lane is for passing.
- Passing lanes are extra lanes added on some highways, often in the mountains. Slower vehicles move into the right lane so others can pass on the left.
- Where a passing lane ends, drivers in the right lane merge left, and drivers in the left lane help them in.
Driver's Guide p. 71
Passing into the oncoming lane can cause head-on collisions. Pass only where it's legal, when it's necessary, and with extreme care.
- Keep a safe following distance behind the vehicle you want to pass.
- Check that there's no oncoming traffic for a safe distance, and check your mirrors.
- Shoulder check left, in case someone is passing you.
- Signal left, then pass. You may not exceed the speed limit while passing.
- When you can see the passed vehicle in your inside mirror, shoulder check right, signal right, and return to your lane.
- Turn your signal off.
Being passed? Stay in your lane, move to the right side of it, and don't speed up.
Driver's Guide pp. 71–72
Do not pass when:
- oncoming vehicles are too close. If in doubt, don't pass.
- a solid yellow line is on your side
- a sign marks a no-passing zone
- you're in a school or playground zone while it's in effect
- a vehicle has stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk
- a school bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm out
- you're on a curve of a two-lane highway
- you're near the top of a hill and can't see what's ahead
Don't use the shoulder to pass, or to help someone pass you.
Driver's Guide pp. 72–76
The shoulder of a primary highway, between the edge of the road and the first travel lane, is the emergency stopping lane. Use it only to stop in an emergency or when your vehicle has a problem.
- Never drive in it.
- Never pass, or help another vehicle pass you, by using it.
- If you miss an exit, don't stop or reverse on the highway or the shoulder.
Driver's Guide pp. 72–74
Neither the merging driver nor the drivers already on the highway have the right-of-way. Merging is a shared responsibility.
- Use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of highway traffic.
- Check traffic as soon as you can see the highway. Pick a gap and adjust your speed to it.
- Signal before or in the acceleration lane, and keep shoulder checking.
- Move over only after the solid white line ends, matching the speed of traffic.
- Don't slow down abruptly or stop. Drivers behind you expect you to keep moving.
Already on the highway? If it's safe, move left to leave the right lane for merging traffic.
Driver's Guide p. 73
To exit:
- Be in the correct lane well before your exit, and signal early.
- Move into the deceleration lane and do most of your slowing there. Some are short, so you may need to start slowing before it.
- Missed your exit? Keep going to the next one. Never stop or reverse.
Weave zones: on some interchanges, the entrance and the exit share the same lane. Drivers slowing to exit cross paths with drivers speeding up to enter. Control your speed, time your lane change carefully, and cooperate.
Driver's Guide p. 74
Curves:
- Slow down before the curve, not in it. Stay centred in your lane.
- Look well ahead, around the curve.
- If you skid in a curve, stay off both the brake and the gas. Look and steer where you want to go, with small corrections.
Hills:
- Going up, move to the right side of your lane near the top, in case an oncoming vehicle has crossed the centre line.
- Don't pass near the top of a hill.
- Going down a steep hill, adjust your speed, since stopping takes longer. In a manual vehicle, shift to a lower gear so your brakes don't overheat.
Driver's Guide pp. 75–76
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Multi-lane highway | Slower traffic keeps right |
| Passing lane | Slower vehicles move right |
| While passing | Never exceed the speed limit |
| Return after passing | When the passed vehicle shows in your inside mirror |
| Being passed | Stay in your lane, move right within it |
| Merging | Shared responsibility, nobody has right-of-way |
| Missed exit | Continue to the next exit |
| Shoulder | Emergencies only, never for driving or passing |
- Acceleration lane vs deceleration lane: you speed up in the acceleration lane to join traffic. You slow down in the deceleration lane after leaving it.
- Merging is shared: the merging driver doesn't have to stop, and highway drivers should make room when they can.
- Passing lanes: the slower vehicle moves right. The faster one passes on the left.
- No speeding to pass. If you can't pass within the limit, don't pass.
- School bus: amber vs red lights. Amber means be ready to stop (passing is possible, with caution). Red with the stop arm out means stop, no passing.
- Missed exit: never reverse or stop on the highway or the shoulder.