Topic 3 · Rules of the Road: Traffic Laws in California
You are about to pass a bicyclist riding in the travel lane. What does the law expect you to do first?
- Sound your horn to warn the cyclist before passing
- Change to another lane to pass, then return to your original lane — correct answer
- Stay in your lane and leave 3 feet of clearance
Why
To pass a bicyclist in the travel lane you may need to change lanes — that is the rule. Only when you cannot change lanes must you allow at least three feet, and if you cannot give three feet you must not pass at all. (Handbook, Section 7.)
Practise this in the real format
Reading one answer is not the same as sitting the test. The simulator runs the first-time adult form: 36 questions, 6 mistakes allowed, 83% to pass.
Source: California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025), the document the DMV writes the real test from. Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.
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