Roadwise States Maryland Driving lessons Bicycles at intersections, at night & children Maryland driving lesson · Sharing the Road
Bicycles at intersections, at night & children A 3-minute lesson from the Maryland 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 Sharing the Road
Checkpoint questions 5
Source pages 41 Most bike crashes happen where paths cross: intersections, driveways, and right turns across a bike lane. Night and young riders add more surprises.
Know the rule
Assume bicyclists are going straight through an intersection unless they signal a turn. Yield to bicycles just as you would to any other vehicle.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Know the rule
Bicycles may come from unexpected directions. Look both ways before crossing a sidewalk or trail.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ 35 mph Speed experienced bicyclists can reach, so they may be closer than you think
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Turning near bicycles: Never turn right from a through lane right after passing a bike on a shoulder or bike lane Make sure no bicycles are on your right or in your right blind spot Before a right turn, move as far right as possible within the bike lane, shoulder or turn lane Don't turn left immediately in front of a bicycle Look for bicycles before moving right to pass a vehicle turning left Where the road narrows, expect a cyclist on the shoulder to merge left Handbook p. 41 ↗ Know the rule
At night, a dim reflective object may be a bicycle in the travel lane. Use low beams when approaching a bicycle.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Know the rule
Bicyclists may avoid shoulders at night because branches, potholes, debris and the pavement edge are hard to see.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Know the rule
Children on bicycles are unpredictable and most likely to change direction without warning. Watch driveways and parked cars, and obey school-zone and residential speed limits.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Put it into practice
You pass a cyclist in the bike lane and your right turn is just ahead. Don't cut across in front of them. Slow, let the cyclist clear the corner, then merge into the bike lane and turn.
A useful reminder After passing a bike, never turn right across its path from the through lane.
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 should you never do immediately after passing a bicycle on a shoulder or bike lane? Signal your turn early Make a right turn from a through lane right in front of it Check your mirrors Slow down before turning Answer: Make a right turn from a through lane right in front of it
Never make a right turn from a through lane immediately after passing a bike on a shoulder or bike lane.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ How fast can experienced bicyclists sometimes travel, according to the handbook? No faster than 15 mph No faster than 10 mph As fast as 35 mph As fast as 50 mph Answer: As fast as 35 mph
Experienced bicyclists can ride as fast as 35 mph and may be closer than expected.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Which headlight beam should you use when approaching a bicyclist at night? High beams No headlights Alternating beams Low beams Answer: Low beams
Use your low beam headlights when approaching a bicycle at night.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Why might a bicyclist avoid riding on the shoulder at night even without traffic present? Hazards like potholes are hard to see It is illegal to ride on shoulders at night Shoulders are reserved for emergency vehicles only Bicyclists must ride in the travel lane at night Answer: Hazards like potholes are hard to see
Bicyclists sometimes avoid shoulders at night because tree branches, potholes, and debris are difficult to see.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ You should assume a bicyclist is turning unless they signal that they are going straight. True False Answer: False
You should assume a bicyclist is going straight through an intersection unless they signal a turn.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Previous lesson Bicycles: sharing the lane Next lesson Mopeds, scooters & driver-assist technology About the source Roadwise’s Maryland course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 41. 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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