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Michigan driver handbook guide

Michigan driver handbook guide.

Use this guide to navigate the 10 chapters in the handbook edition behind Roadwise’s Michigan course. Read the source, look up a rule in the study app, or work through 52 companion lessons.

Read the handbook in Roadwise Open source PDF
Handbook chapters
10
Source PDF pages
92
Companion lessons
52
Licensing agency
SOS

A way through the handbook

Start with the application and licensing material that applies to your age and license type. Then work through the driving rules, signs, and safe-driving chapters. A rule is easier to remember when you can explain what it asks you to do in a real road situation.

For a quick refresher, use the chapter list below. For a deeper study session, follow a companion lesson and its checkpoint questions. The page numbers refer to this course’s source edition and may differ from the newest agency edition.

Chapter list

  1. Introduction Source p. 11
  2. Chapter 1: Your Driver's License Source p. 15
  3. Chapter 2: Your Driving Record Source p. 27
  4. Chapter 3: Voter Registration and State IDs Source p. 33
  5. Chapter 4: Traffic Laws Source p. 37
  6. Chapter 5: Signs, Pavement Markings and Signals Source p. 55
  7. Chapter 6: Sharing the Road Source p. 67
  8. Chapter 7: Emergencies and Special Situations Source p. 73
  9. Safe Driving Knowledge Test Source p. 83
  10. Resources Source p. 87

What you will find in each chapter

Chapter 1 · source p. 11

Introduction

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Resources
  • 2023 Michigan crash facts
  • • For more facts and information, visit golm.org/faqs
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 2 · source p. 15

Chapter 1: Your Driver's License

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that. . . ?
  • Who is a resident?
  • New Michigan residents
  • Licensing requirements and endorsements
  • Michigan and REAL ID
  • Chapter 1: Your Driver’s License another state or country
  • Licensing
  • Chapter 1: Your Driver’s License
  • Chapter 1: Your Driver’s License licensed
  • Security number presence
  • Providing proof of identity
  • Providing proof of residency
  • Physical standards
  • Vision and knowledge tests
  • Temporary instruction permit The motorcycle TIP
  • Driving skills test
  • Chapter 1: Your Driver’s License health condition
  • Probationary license program license
  • Renewing your license The decision to stop driving
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 3 · source p. 27

Chapter 2: Your Driving Record

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that . . . ?
  • Your driving record
  • Michigan’s point system drugs
  • Driver reexaminations
  • Driver education
  • Licensing (GDL)
  • Parents & guardians
  • Resources
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 4 · source p. 33

Chapter 3: Voter Registration and State IDs

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that . . . ?
  • Voter registration
  • State identification cards
  • State ID cards and REAL ID
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 5 · source p. 37

Chapter 4: Traffic Laws

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that. . . ? all drivers - including teens
  • Buckle up, it’s the law!
  • Protecting children and teens vehicles
  • Air bags
  • Speed limits
  • Construction zones
  • Chapter 4: Traffic Laws zone
  • Maintenance vehicles
  • Emergency vehicles
  • School buses
  • Right of way
  • Right of way when turning
  • Right of way at intersections
  • Be prepared to yield
  • Right of way and pedestrians
  • Right of way and funerals
  • Passing on the left
  • Passing on the right
  • When passing is prohibited
  • Lane usage
  • Turning
  • Right turns
  • Left turns
  • Changing lanes
  • Roundabouts
  • Railroad crossings warning sign
  • Chapter 4: Traffic Laws control systems control systems
  • tips
  • If you are stuck on the tracks
  • Notification System sign?
  • Parking
  • Parking on a hill
  • Parallel parking
  • Disability parking parking
  • Parking violations
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 6 · source p. 55

Chapter 5: Signs, Pavement Markings and Signals

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that . . . ?
  • Traffic signs
  • Crossbuck
  • Federal, state, and county road systems
  • Traffic sign colors
  • Regulatory signs paper trails ended up all over northern
  • Traffic sign challenge answers
  • Height
  • Pavement markings
  • White lines
  • Broken white lines
  • Figure 5.1
  • Solid white lines
  • Figure 5.2
  • Double solid white lines protect
  • Crosswalk lines
  • Stop lines
  • Directional arrows
  • Figure 5.5
  • Bicycle lanes markings
  • Yellow lines
  • Broken yellow lines
  • Solid yellow lines
  • Left turn only center lane
  • Michigan Lefts
  • Yield lines
  • White triangular symbols
  • Dashed white lines
  • Traffic signals The 5-section-head signal
  • Flashing red light
  • Flashing yellow light
  • Steady green arrow left-turn signal head
  • Pedestrian signals
  • Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 7 · source p. 67

Chapter 6: Sharing the Road

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that. . . ?
  • Commercial vehicles safely
  • Slow-moving vehicles
  • Pedestrians
  • Children mopeds and bicycles motorcyclists
  • Moped or scooter?
  • Bicyclists
  • Autocycles
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 8 · source p. 73

Chapter 7: Emergencies and Special Situations

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that . . . ?
  • Safe driving
  • Aggressive driving
  • Take care at intersections
  • Intersections
  • Freeway driving
  • A word about merging
  • Leaving a freeway
  • Freeway fatigue
  • Cruise control your lane
  • Bad weather
  • Rain and fog
  • Chapter 7: Emergencies and Special Situations conditions
  • skidding
  • Braking
  • Stopping distances
  • Driving at night
  • Emergency situations
  • Crashes
  • Vehicle – deer crashes deer unavoidable ahead to stay safe
  • Before starting the engine
  • Do not take risks threatened while in your car
  • If your car becomes disabled
  • If you are pulled over In conclusion
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 9 · source p. 83

Safe Driving Knowledge Test

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that . . . ? the bicyclist?
Open this handbook chapter

Chapter 10 · source p. 87

Resources

This chapter’s sections include:

  • Did you know that . . . ?
  • Must
  • • Voter
  • Resource materials
  • Credits
  • Photo and image credits and non-native speakers
Open this handbook chapter

Turn the reading into a study routine

The Michigan course groups the source material into 8 units. Each lesson includes handbook page references, examples, and a checkpoint in the study app.

Unit 1 · 8 lessons

Your Driver's License

Residency, GDL levels, the TIP, renewing

  1. Residency, license types and endorsements
  2. REAL ID and moving to Michigan
  3. Driver education and the Level 1 Learner's License
  4. Level 2 Intermediate License and its limits
  5. Level 3, new adult drivers and the TIP
  6. Documents, vision and knowledge tests
  7. Motorcycle TIP, skills test, health and probation
  8. Renewing, updating your license, and state IDs

Unit 2 · 5 lessons

Your Driving Record

Points, alcohol and drugs, reexamination

  1. Your driving record and how points work
  2. Point values for each violation
  3. Alcohol, drugs and license suspensions
  4. Marijuana, implied consent and OWI penalties
  5. Driver reexaminations

Unit 3 · 8 lessons

Traffic Laws: Staying Safe

Phones, seat belts, speed, work zones, buses

  1. Distracted driving and phone fines
  2. Michigan's cell phone law and Kelsey's Law
  3. Seat belts and child safety seats
  4. Children in parked cars and air bag safety
  5. Speed limits and the Basic Speed Law
  6. Construction zones and maintenance vehicles
  7. Emergency vehicles: yield and move over
  8. School buses

Unit 4 · 6 lessons

Right-of-Way, Passing, and Turning

Who goes first, passing, lanes, roundabouts

  1. Right of way when turning and at intersections
  2. Yield signs, pedestrians and funeral processions
  3. Passing safely and when you can't pass
  4. Lane usage: keep right
  5. Turning and changing lanes
  6. Roundabouts

Unit 5 · 5 lessons

Railroad Crossings and Parking

Trains, hills, disability parking, no-parking zones

  1. Railroad crossings
  2. Crossing safety and if you're stuck on the tracks
  3. Parking basics, hills and parallel parking
  4. Disability parking
  5. Where you can never park

Unit 6 · 8 lessons

Signs, Signals, and Pavement Markings

Shapes, colors, lines, and lights

  1. Sign shapes, colors and route markers
  2. Regulatory, guide and service signs
  3. Warning signs
  4. White pavement markings
  5. Yellow lines and the center left-turn lane
  6. Michigan Lefts and yield lines
  7. Traffic lights and the doghouse signal
  8. Flashing yellow arrows, pedestrian signals and HAWK beacons

Unit 7 · 4 lessons

Sharing the Road

Trucks, pedestrians, motorcycles and bikes

  1. Trucks, buses and their no-zones
  2. Slow-moving vehicles, pedestrians and children
  3. Motorcycles, scooters and mopeds
  4. Bicyclists and autocycles

Unit 8 · 8 lessons

Emergencies and Special Situations

Aggressive drivers, freeways, weather, crashes, deer

  1. Aggressive driving and intersection safety
  2. Freeway driving and merging
  3. Leaving the freeway, fatigue and cruise control
  4. Bad weather: rain, flooding, fog and snow
  5. Preventing and handling skids; braking
  6. Following distance, stopping and night driving
  7. Roadside emergencies, crashes and deer
  8. Planning ahead, personal safety and traffic stops