Roadwise States Alabama Driving lessons Sharing the road with motorcycles Alabama driving lesson · The Driving Task
Sharing the road with motorcycles A 3-minute lesson from the Alabama course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit The Driving Task
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 27, 28, 29 Motorcycles are hard to spot. Some drivers don't pick them out of traffic, and some misjudge how far away they are or how fast they're going. Many car/cycle crashes happen when a car turns left in front of a motorcycle.
About 2 ft Width of a motorcycle, compared with the 5-to-6-foot width of a car
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Know the rule
Motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities on public roads as other highway users.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Know the rule
Before turning left in front of an oncoming motorcycle, LOOK AND LOOK AGAIN, and make sure you know its speed.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Know the rule
Most motorcycle turn signals don't cancel themselves. Before turning in front of any vehicle, be sure it is actually turning.
Handbook p. 28 ↗ 2 seconds Following distance behind a motorcycle, the same as for any other vehicle
Handbook p. 28 ↗ Know the rule
Motorcycles are entitled to the full width of a lane. Never move into the same lane alongside a motorcycle, even if the lane is wide. It's illegal and extremely hazardous.
Handbook p. 28 ↗ Know the rule
Skilled riders constantly change position within the lane to be seen, to see the road better and to avoid objects.
Handbook p. 28 ↗ Expect a rider to slow or change direction because of: Darkness, rain or wet, slippery roads (give even more following distance) Glare from rain and wet surfaces, especially at night Cross winds on open highways and bridges, and windblasts from fast trucks Gravel, debris, pavement seams, small animals and manhole covers Rough or angled railroad crossings (the rider may rise off the seat) Metal or grated bridges and grooved pavement, which make the front tire wobble Handbook p. 28 ↗ Know the rule
Regardless of who is legally at fault in a car/cycle crash, the motorcyclist usually is the loser.
Handbook p. 29 ↗ Put it into practice
An oncoming motorcycle is blinking its right signal as you wait to turn left. Don't assume it's turning, since motorcycle signals often don't cancel. Look again, judge its speed, and wait until you're sure it's turning or has passed.
A useful reminder Following a motorcycle: 2 seconds in good conditions, more at night or in the rain.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What following distance behind a motorcyclist does the handbook recommend? One car length per 10 mph The same 2-second following distance as any vehicle Half the distance used for cars At least 4 seconds at all times Answer: The same 2-second following distance as any vehicle
Motorcyclists should be given the same 2-second following distance as any other vehicle.
Handbook p. 28 ↗ Why should a driver never move into the same lane alongside a motorcyclist, even if the lane looks wide? It is legal but discouraged It's only prohibited at night It's illegal and hazardous; motorcycles get the full lane Only because motorcycles brake faster Answer: It's illegal and hazardous; motorcycles get the full lane
Motorcycles get the same full lane width as other vehicles, and sharing a lane with one is illegal and extremely hazardous.
Handbook p. 28 ↗ What is a major reason drivers sometimes fail to see an oncoming motorcyclist before turning left? Motorcycles are wider than cars Motorcycles usually signal too early Motorcyclists often ride on the shoulder Drivers miss them or misjudge their speed Answer: Drivers miss them or misjudge their speed
Left turns in front of oncoming motorcyclists often happen because drivers fail to see the cyclist or misjudge their speed.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Motorcycles average about how wide compared with automobiles? About four feet, versus five feet for a car About one foot, versus three feet for a car About the same width as a car About 2 feet vs. 5–6 feet for a car Answer: About 2 feet vs. 5–6 feet for a car
Motorcycles are only about two feet wide compared with the five-to-six-foot width of an automobile, making them harder to see.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Why should drivers give motorcyclists extra following distance in rain or on wet roads? Wet, slippery roads are hazardous for motorcycles Riders tend to speed up on wet roads Motorcycles cannot use brakes in rain Riders must pull over when it rains Answer: Wet, slippery roads are hazardous for motorcycles
Inclement weather and slippery surfaces are real problems for motorcycles, so drivers should allow even more following distance.
Handbook p. 28 ↗ Motorcycle turn signals on most motorcycles automatically cancel themselves, just like on a car. True False Answer: False
Turn signals are not automatically self-canceling on most motorcycles, so a rider may forget to turn one off.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Previous lesson Sharing the road with bicycles Next lesson Sharing the road with trucks and buses About the source Roadwise’s Alabama course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 27, 28, 29. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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