Ch. 5 · Driving Method

On mountain roads, the shoulder may be prone to collapse, so when passing oncoming vehicles, it is best to pull over as close as possible to the shoulder to ensure a wide gap with the oncoming vehicle.

[True / False · Medium]

Answer: ✕ False

Explanation

The Rules of the Road state that on mountain roads, the shoulder may be prone to collapse, so when passing oncoming vehicles, you should be careful not to pull over too close to the shoulder. Pulling over too close poses a risk of falling or running off the road, so "pull over as close as possible" is incorrect.

Driving school curriculumStage 1 – Topic 12: Passing oncoming vehicles

Hikari
Hikari
Makes sense to hug the shoulder and give the other car plenty of space, right?
Misaki
Misaki
The statement is false—mountain shoulders can collapse, so pulling over too close risks falling or running off the road.
Hikari
Hikari
Oh wow, so 'as close as possible' is actually dangerous here.
Misaki
Misaki
Exactly. Leave a safety margin from the edge—unstable shoulders are a real hazard on mountain roads.

Source: Ch. 5 Driving Method · Section (第２節 自動車の通行するところ) · 山道では、路肩が崩れやすくなつていることがあります。このような場合の行き違いでは、路肩に寄り過ぎないよう注意しましよう。

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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.