Sharing the Road with Other Vehicles
Sharing the Road with Other Vehicles
This domain tests your judgment around trucks, buses, cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. Guam's mixed traffic includes large vehicles on narrow roads, frequent pedestrians, and wet conditions. The exam rewards space and patience, not assertiveness.
Large vehicles
Trucks and buses have large blind spots - the No-Zone - along both sides, directly behind, and in front. If you cannot see the driver's mirror, the driver likely cannot see you. Large vehicles also need extra room to turn; a truck turning right may swing left first. Never pass on the right when a large vehicle is signaling a right turn.
Cars and left-turners
The most common motorcycle crash involves a car turning left across the rider's path. Scan for oncoming vehicles that may turn, watch their front wheels, and cover the brakes. Do not assume a driver has seen you because the car is pointed at you. Also watch for cars pulling out of driveways and side streets; they often stop late.
Pedestrians and cyclists
Slow in school zones, near crosswalks, and around bus stops. Give cyclists at least a door's width when passing, and expect pedestrians to step out from between parked cars. On Guam, rain can reduce visibility for everyone, so increase the cushion.
Worked example
A bus ahead stops in your lane and flashes its left turn signal. You want to pass on the right. Reasoning: the bus may be stopping for passengers, and passing on the right can put you into the path of someone crossing or into the bus's blind spot. The safer choice is to slow, wait until the bus's intentions are clear, and pass only when you can see the road ahead and have room.
Traps
- Riding beside a truck's cab instead of clearing it.
- Passing a turning vehicle on the side it is turning toward.
- Assuming a car will stop because its turn signal is on.
- Crowding pedestrians in crosswalks.
- Forgetting that wet brakes and wet roads increase stopping distance.