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New York driving lesson · Sharing the Road

Sharing the road with motorcycles

A 4-minute lesson from the New York course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Sharing the Road
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
39, 70, 71, 72, 73

Motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other drivers and may be on the road any time of year. Many drivers who hit a motorcycle say they never saw it. Knowing why motorcycles are hard to see, and looking for them on purpose, prevents those crashes.

Know the rule

In a crash between a motorcycle and another vehicle, the rider and passenger are much more likely to be seriously hurt or killed. Riders must wear approved helmets and goggles or a face shield, but a motorcycle has no frame around the rider.

Handbook p. 71 ↗

Why motorcycles are hard to see:

  • They're smaller than most other road users from any direction
  • Their small size makes them seem farther away and makes speed and distance hard to judge
  • They may not fill the lane, and riders move within it to avoid obstacles or see better
  • Headlights don't stand out now that many vehicles have daytime running lights
  • Taillights are small and always on, so brake lights don't stand out
  • Most brake lights sit below eye level; cars have a high center brake light
  • Turn signals sit close to the lights and often don't cancel automatically
Handbook p. 71 ↗

Know the rule

Two motorcyclists may ride side-by-side in a single lane, but a motorcyclist may not pass or share a lane with any vehicle that isn't a motorcycle. You may not see a motorcycle ahead of a car you're overtaking, or one in the left part of a lane you're merging into.

Handbook p. 71 ↗
41 percent

Of 2015 U.S. fatal motorcycle crashes: the other vehicle turned left while the motorcycle went straight, passed or overtook

Handbook p. 72 ↗
53.6%

Of New York's 4,750 reported motorcycle crashes in 2014 (2,546) involved another vehicle

Handbook p. 72 ↗

Know the rule

Intersections are especially dangerous for motorcycles. Drivers tend to notice large vehicles first and look only for cars and trucks, so train yourself to look for trucks, buses, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorcycles.

Handbook p. 72 ↗

On special road surfaces, a motorcyclist may:

  • Quickly change speed or lane position to avoid gravel, debris, pavement seams, covers or small animals
  • Slow down, rise off the seat and cross railroad tracks at a right angle
  • Move to the center of the lane on steel deck bridges; stay a good distance behind
Handbook p. 73 ↗

Adjust your driving around motorcycles:

  • Don't tailgate: motorcycles can stop in a shorter distance, and their slowing is harder to notice
  • Give even more space in rain or darkness
  • Pass carefully; the air pressure of a fast-passing vehicle can affect a motorcycle
  • When passing, give the motorcycle a full lane width; never share its lane
Handbook p. 73 ↗

Put it into practice

You're waiting to turn left and see a single headlight approaching. It's a motorcycle, and it's probably closer and faster than it looks. Wait for it to pass before you turn. A left-turning driver who misjudges an oncoming motorcycle is the classic fatal crash.

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.

Can two motorcyclists legally ride side-by-side in a single lane?
  1. No, they must always ride single file
  2. Yes, up to three at once
  3. Only on expressways
  4. Yes, two may share one lane

Answer: Yes, two may share one lane

Two motorcyclists are allowed to ride side-by-side in a single lane.

Handbook p. 71 ↗
In 2015, what share of fatal motorcycle crashes involved another vehicle turning left while the motorcycle went straight or passed?
  1. 41 percent
  2. 10 percent
  3. 65 percent
  4. 25 percent

Answer: 41 percent

NHTSA reported that in 2015, 41 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes involved the other vehicle turning left.

Handbook p. 72 ↗
Why are a motorcycle's brake lights often harder to notice than a car's?
  1. They're legally required to be dimmer
  2. They're small, always lit, and mounted low
  3. Motorcycles don't need brake lights
  4. They only work above 30 mph

Answer: They're small, always lit, and mounted low

Motorcycle tail lights are smaller, always on so the brake doesn't stand out, and mounted lower than a car's center-mounted stop light.

Handbook p. 71 ↗
In 2014, what share of reported New York motorcycle crashes involved another vehicle?
  1. 53.6 percent
  2. 10 percent
  3. 90 percent
  4. 25 percent

Answer: 53.6 percent

In 2014, 2,546 of 4,750 reported NY motorcycle crashes involved another vehicle, or 53.6%.

Handbook p. 72 ↗
When you pass a motorcycle, you should give it the same full-lane width you'd give any other vehicle.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

When passing a motorcycle, give it the same full-lane width other vehicles are allowed.

Handbook p. 39 ↗
A motorcyclist may share a lane with a car or other non-motorcycle vehicle.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

A motorcyclist cannot pass or share a lane with a motor vehicle that is not a motorcycle.

Handbook p. 71 ↗
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More in Sharing the Road

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