Virginia · Handbook chapter 4 · 4 min read

Chapter 4: Pavement markings and painted curbs

Virginia pavement markings: yellow and white lines, three-lane roads, lane arrows, yield lines, bicycle lanes, sharrows and bike boxes, HOV and bus lanes, toll plazas and curb colors.

Why this chapter matters

Lines on the road tell you where you may pass, change lanes and turn. Virginia's manual also covers bike boxes, sharrows, HOV lanes and toll lanes, all of which appear on the general knowledge part of the exam.

Colors

• Yellow center lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions.
• White lines separate lanes moving in the same direction and mark the right edge of the road.
• Red markings are rare, though some communities use red curbs for no parking. Red reflectors are seen only by traffic going the wrong way.

Yellow lines

You may cross a solid yellow line only to turn left, or to get around pedestrians, bicyclists, or people on scooters or skateboards when the opposite lane is clear and it is safe.

On an unmarked two-lane road you may pass on the left if no sign forbids it and the way is clear.

White lines

• Broken white: change lanes with caution.
• Solid white: marks turn lanes and discourages lane changes near intersections and ramps; also marks the right edge.
• Double solid white: do not cross. Often separates an HOV lane from regular lanes; enter only where signs and markings allow.
• Dotted white: guides you through intersections and interchanges and marks the start of turn lanes and ramp lanes.

Arrows and lines across the road

• A curved arrow, or a curved arrow with ONLY, means you must turn that way. A curved arrow and a straight arrow means you may turn or go straight.
• Wrong-way arrows point against you if you are going the wrong way: slow down and pull over immediately.
• A yield line is a row of triangles across the lane showing where to yield or stop, often at the entrance to a roundabout.
• Stop lines, crosswalks and parking spaces are marked in white.

Three-lane roads

• Center lane with a single broken yellow line on both sides: drivers from either direction may use it to pass.
• Center lane with solid and broken yellow lines on both sides: drivers from either direction may use it to make left turns, but may not travel more than 150 feet in it.

Bicycle markings

• A sharrow is a bicycle symbol with a double chevron above it. It marks lanes too narrow to share side by side and shows where bicyclists are encouraged to ride.
• A bicycle lane has a solid or dashed white line or green paint and a bicycle symbol. Drive in it only when you need to turn, and yield to bicycles in it first.
• A bike box at an intersection holds bicyclists in front of cars. Stop behind the box on red; right turns on red are not allowed there; turning right on green, signal and yield to bicycles on your right.

HOV, bus and toll lanes

• HOV lanes carry a diamond symbol. In heavy traffic they are reserved for buses, vanpools, carpools, motorcycles and certain clean fuel vehicles; signs show the minimum number of people and the hours. Barrier-separated HOV lanes are reversible.
• Bus-only lanes have BUS ONLY markings or red pavement. A diamond marking can also show a bus lane.
• Every Virginia toll facility takes E-ZPass. Follow the purple E-ZPass signs if you have a transponder, or the cash lane signs if not. If you enter an E-ZPass-only lane by mistake, do not stop: cameras record the plate and the owner is billed.

Painted curbs