Intersections, Turns, and Right-of-Way
What the exam tests
Intersection decisions: scanning, turn position, signals, and yielding. Most motorcycle-car crashes happen at intersections, often when a car turns left in front of the bike.
Scan and be seen
Approach every intersection with a scan: left, right, left, and check mirrors. Cover the brakes and slow. Choose a lane position that puts you in the driver’s field of view. Do not pass a car on the right at an intersection; the driver may turn right without seeing you.
Turns
Turn from the correct lane: right turns from the rightmost lane or turn bay, left turns from the left lane or turn bay. Signal early, cancel after the turn, and do not drift into another lane. At a stop, keep the bike straight and watch for gravel or oil.
Right-of-way
Yield to traffic already in the intersection, to pedestrians, and to the vehicle on your right at an uncontrolled intersection. A left-turning driver must yield to oncoming traffic, but do not assume they will.
Worked example
An oncoming car signals left as you approach. Slow, cover the brakes, and move to the right part of your lane. The driver may not see you. If the car turns, you have time and space; if it waits, you proceed.
Traps
- Speeding up to “beat” a left-turning car.
- Passing on the right at an intersection.
- Forgetting to cancel a turn signal.
- Assuming a green light means the intersection is clear.