Ch. 5 · Driving Method

It is not that you must not drive on sidewalks or roadside strips.

[True / False · Hard]

Answer: ✕ False

Explanation

The Rules of the Road state that you must not drive on sidewalks or roadside strips. There are exceptions, such as crossing them to enter or exit a place facing the road, but in principle, driving on them is prohibited. The double-negative sentence means "you may drive on them," which is incorrect.

Driving school curriculumStage 1 – Topic 4: Where vehicles may and may not travel

Hikari
Hikari
It says 'not that you must not,' so… you can drive on them?
Misaki
Misaki
That's the trap. The double negative makes it sound permissive, but the rules clearly prohibit driving on sidewalks or roadside strips. The statement is false.
Hikari
Hikari
So the wording is just trying to confuse me.
Misaki
Misaki
Exactly. Cut through the double negative—sidewalks and roadside strips are off-limits unless you're crossing to enter or exit.

Source: Ch. 5 Driving Method · Section (第2節 自動車の通行するところ) · Rules of the Road, Ch.5 §2 (Where vehicles drive) — Vehicles drive on the left half of the road. When there are lanes, drive in the left lane; right lanes are for passing or right turns. Light vehicles use the leftmost lane.

🤖 Dig deeper with AI

Send this question's context to ChatGPT for a richer explanation. The prompt also asks the AI to point you back to this chapter's practice quiz.

🚀 Ask ChatGPT

If the button doesn't open ChatGPT, tap Copy and paste it into Claude, Gemini, or any other LLM you prefer. On a free plan, Claude (claude.ai) tends to produce more accurate explanations that respect this site's content.

← Back to all Ch. 5 questions

See the glossary for definitions of key terms.

Source content excerpted from the NPA “Rules of the Road” instructional manual, in the public domain under Japanese Copyright Act Article 13(2). Explanations are AI-assisted and copyrighted by the MenkyoQuest editorial team.