Georgia driving lesson · Right-of-Way, Passing and Turns
Passing bicycles, motorcycles and stopped cars
A 3-minute lesson from the Georgia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Some road users are especially vulnerable when you pass them. Georgia sets a 3-foot rule for bicycles, gives motorcycles a full lane, and forbids passing a car that has stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk.
Know the rule
When approaching a bicycle, change to a lane that isn't next to it if road and traffic conditions allow.
If a lane change is impossible, prohibited or unsafe, slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit or 25 mph, whichever is more, and pass with at least 3 feet between you and the bicycle at all times.
Weaving from lane to lane to go faster than the flow of traffic is unlawful. Change lanes to pass slower vehicles only when it's safe, and signal clearly.
When a vehicle stops to let a pedestrian cross at a marked crosswalk, or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, drivers approaching from behind must not pass it.
On a multi-lane street, the car in the lane beside you stops at a crosswalk and you can't see why. Don't pass it; a pedestrian may be crossing in front of it. Stop too.
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 is the minimum distance a motorist must leave when passing a bicyclist?
1 foot
5 feet
3 feet
2 feet
Answer: 3 feet
The law requires at least three feet of clearance between a vehicle and a bicyclist at all times when passing.