Sharing the Road and Special Driving Situations
Core Concepts
Sharing the road means adjusting for users who cannot match a car's speed or visibility: pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, large trucks, buses, and emergency vehicles. Give cyclists at least three feet when passing where feasible, check blind spots before turns, and look right before right turns for cyclists and pedestrians. Motorcycles are entitled to a full lane; never share a lane with them. Large trucks have wide turning radii, long stopping distances, and big no-zones - avoid lingering beside them. In Arizona, dust storms, monsoon rain, and extreme heat are recurring hazards: pull off the road, turn off lights, and take your foot off the brake in a dust storm until visibility returns; avoid flooded washes. At night, dim high beams for oncoming traffic and when following.
Common Traps
Questions about dust storms test the pull-off-and-lights-off rule - headlights on can cause rear-end collisions when others follow your taillights. Flooded-road questions reward “turn around, don't drown.” Truck questions test whether you can see the driver's mirrors. Watch for motorcycle right-of-way traps and for the correct following distance behind large vehicles.
Rule of Thumb
If you cannot see the truck driver's face in the mirror, the driver cannot see you. Position yourself so you are visible and have an escape route, and never pass on the right of a turning truck.