Passing and Lane Changing In Delaware

Is Loockerman Street in Dover in the picture above a one-way street or a two-way street?

Easy answer — it is a two-way street. The DOUBLE SOLID YELLOW LINE is separating 2 single lanes of opposite direction traffic. The SOLID YELLOW LINE also indicates no passing.

Is Main Street Newark in the picture below a one-way street or a two-way street?

Easy answer — it is a one-way street. The BROKEN WHITE LINES are separating 2 single lanes of same direction traffic.

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Is the Kirkwood Highway Wilmington DE in the picture below a one-way street or a two-way street?

Easy answer — it is a two-way street. The SOLID YELLOW LINES are separating lanes of opposite direction traffic.

WRONG!

The Kirkwood Highway pictured above is an example of one-way roads. WHAT!? Don’t get angry. Don’t get upset. Just give “The D Team” a chance to explain by a description of PASSING/LANE CHANGING.

IMPORTANT: PASSING requires a return to your original lane. PASSING takes place in a driving environment where the vehicle executing the PASSING maneuver (with a broken yellow line) risks a head-on collision from opposite direction traffic. PASSING also takes place when PASSING left turning traffic on the right using the SHOULDER of the road if necessary. Both PASSING maneuvers cited above require a return to the original lane and only occur on two-way roads.

Take a second look at the Kirkwood Highway picture above. When moving from one lane to another is there a risk from opposite direction traffic? NO! Is there an opportunity to pass left turning traffic on the right using the shoulder of the road? NO! Then the Kirkwood Highway is not a two-way road.

However, is it legal to CHANGE LANES when traveling in your motor vehicle on the Kirkwood Highway? YES! Are you permitted to remain in the lane into which you just moved? YES! Then the Kirkwood Highway is “2” one-way roads — DUAL ROADWAY/HIGHWAY.

Delaware Defensive Driving

Delaware Defensive Driving Inc. has been providing State of Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles approved Basic and Refresher (aka “Advanced”) defensive driving courses since 1992. Based in Wilmington, Delaware over 135,000 certificates of completion have been issued to Delaware drivers over the last 32 years.