Signaling, Passing, Turning and Parking

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Texas Class C knowledge exam. The facts follow the official handbook; the wording is ours.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Texas Department of Public Safety, rev. January 2026, chapter 6 "Signaling, Passing, and Turning" (pp. 38–41) and chapter 7 "Parking, Stopping, or Standing" (pp. 42–44).

Signaling

A surprise move often ends in a crash, so signal before you change lanes, turn, pull away from a curbside parking space, slow down or stop, enter or leave a highway, or pull over. Use the signal lights or hand-and-arm signals with the arm well out of the window: arm straight out means a left turn, arm bent up means a right turn, arm bent down means stop or slow. Hand signals are hard to see after dark, so keep the signal lights working; when signaling a stop, pump the brakes a few times to draw attention. Signal continuously for at least 100 feet before turning or stopping, and cancel the signal afterwards: a signal left on still says "turn" to everyone else.

Passing

Keep to the right

Never drive on the left side of the road where markings or signs prohibit it (a no-passing zone or solid lines), where there are two or more lanes in each direction, within 100 feet of or while crossing an intersection or railroad crossing, on a hill, curve or anywhere vision is limited, or within 100 feet of a bridge, viaduct or tunnel. Keep right except when passing on a two- or three-lane street, on a one-way street, or when the right side is blocked.

Passing on a two-lane road

Improper passing causes head-on crashes. Be patient and wait for the right moment.

1. Keep enough distance from the car ahead to see clearly. Check the rearview and side mirrors and look over your shoulder into the blind spot; make sure no one is passing you. Signal left. 2. Check ahead for no-passing signs and markings and for oncoming traffic. You need time and room to pass and get back before an oncoming car comes within 200 feet of you. 3. Tap the horn if needed to alert the driver ahead. 4. Pass on the left, and do not return until you can see the passed car in your rearview mirror. 5. Signal right, return to the right lane, and cancel the signal.

Passing on the right

Allowed only when it is safe: on a road clear of parked cars and obstructions that is wide enough for two or more lanes in each direction; on a one-way road; or on a paved shoulder when the vehicle being passed is slowing or stopped on the roadway, disabled, or about to turn left. Never pass on the right by leaving the paved part of the highway.

Being passed

Do not speed up. Stay in your lane. On an unmarked road being passed on the left, move as far right as you safely can. Make the pass as easy as possible for the other driver. While passing, never linger in the other driver's blind spot: pass or drop back, because a driver probably cannot see you there.

Turning

Seven steps to a safe turn: decide well before the turning point (never a last-minute turn); look behind and to both sides before changing lanes; move into the proper lane early, the faster the traffic the sooner, and if you cannot reach it within one-half block of the turn, go straight instead; signal at least 100 feet before the turn, holding a hand signal until others know your intention but not during the turn, since you need both hands on the wheel; slow to a reasonable turning speed first and do not use the brake or clutch while turning; stay in the turn lane throughout; and finish in the proper lane.

Right turn: signal a lane change early and move to the far right lane; signal right and slow down at least 100 feet from the corner; look both ways; keep as close as possible to the right edge; turn with both hands on the wheel. A wide right turn that swings into another lane is the classic mistake.

Left turn: signal and move into the center (leftmost) lane well ahead; signal left and slow at least 100 feet from the corner; look all directions, stay to the right of the center line as you enter the intersection and yield to oncoming traffic; complete the turn to the right of the center line of the new road, entering the lane that interferes least with other traffic; change lanes afterwards if needed, with a signal.

Turning left from a one-way onto a two-way street, turn from the left lane into the right-hand lane going your direction. Turning left from a two-way onto a one-way street, enter the lane that interferes least with traffic. Watch for markings and signs that allow turns from or into two or more lanes.

Parking, stopping and standing

A badly parked car causes crashes too. When you leave the vehicle, turn off the engine, set the parking brake, take the key, and look behind for traffic before opening the door. Stopping briefly to obey a sign or signal is not "standing."

Never park, stop or let the vehicle stand: on the road side of a vehicle already parked at the curb (double parking); on a sidewalk or crosswalk; within an intersection; between a safety zone and the curb, or within 30 feet of the curb opposite the end of a safety zone; beside or opposite a street excavation or obstruction where you would block traffic; on a bridge, elevated structure or in a highway tunnel; on any railroad track; or where a sign prohibits stopping.

Never park or stand (occupied or not): in front of a public or private driveway; within 15 feet of a fire hydrant; within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection; within 30 feet on the approach to a flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign or roadside traffic signal; within 20 feet of a fire station driveway, or within 75 feet of it on the opposite side of the street; or where a sign prohibits parking or standing.

Never park: within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing, or where a sign prohibits parking.

Highways outside a business or residential district: never park or stand on the paved part when you can park off the road. If you must, leave room for others to pass, make sure the vehicle can be seen from 200 feet in each direction, and at night use the parking lights or dimmed headlights. A bicycle may be parked on a sidewalk if it does not impede pedestrians.

Disabled parking

Parking, standing or stopping in a space reserved for people with disabilities without a disabled plate or a state-issued removable windshield placard is a misdemeanor: $500 to $750 for a first offense, rising to $1,250 for five or more, plus community service. A placard may be used only while transporting the person it was issued to and may not be lent; you may not block an access or curb ramp, nor make, sell, possess or display a counterfeit or altered placard. The striped areas beside disabled spaces and in front of adjacent entrances are for wheelchair lifts, not parking.

Unattended vehicle

Before leaving a car unattended: stop the engine, lock the ignition, remove the key, set the brake, and on any grade turn the front wheels to the curb or side of the road. The engine and key rules do not apply to a remote-start engine, but the key must be in the ignition or in the vehicle before it can be driven.

Parallel parking

1. Pick a space big enough. Signal before you pass the space, then stop even with the car ahead, about two feet out from it. 2. When oncoming traffic allows, turn the wheels all the way right and back slowly toward the curb. 3. When your front seat is opposite the rear bumper of the car ahead, turn the wheel all the way left and back slowly without touching the car behind. Aim for about six inches from the curb, and never more than 18 inches: on a two-way road the right-hand wheels must be within 18 inches of the right curb or edge. 4. Straighten the wheels and center the car in the space.

Hills

Downhill, curb: turn the wheels toward the curb. Uphill, curb: turn the wheels away from the curb so the back of the tire rests against it. No curb (up or down): turn the wheels toward the right, away from the road.

Leaving a space and coasting

Check every mirror and look back before and while backing; children play between parked cars, especially in residential areas. Signal that you are leaving. Coasting downhill in neutral is illegal.

Practise this with Texas Driver License questions

More of this guide