Sharing the Road with Other Users
Everyone else is more fragile than a car
Pedestrians. Yield in crosswalks and when turning; scan for people stepping off curbs, and give extra room to blind pedestrians using a white cane or guide dog, who may not see your turn signal. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.
Bicycles. A bicycle is a vehicle with the same road rights. Michigan requires at least three feet of clearance when you pass a cyclist; if you cannot give it, wait. Check for riders before opening your door and before turning right, since a cyclist may be coming up your right side.
Motorcycles. They are small and easy to miss at intersections and in blind spots. Give them a full lane; lane splitting is not legal in Michigan. Allow extra following distance, because a rider may need to swerve for a pothole or a gravel patch.
Large trucks and buses. Trucks have deep no-zones behind, beside, and in front of the cab, and they swing wide before a right turn. Never squeeze into the space on their right at an intersection. If you cannot see the driver's face in the mirror, the driver cannot see you.
Emergency and work vehicles. Michigan's Move Over law requires you to move over a lane if possible and slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit for stopped police, fire, ambulance, tow, garbage, and utility vehicles displaying flashing lights.
Worked example: a cyclist ahead on a two-lane road with steady oncoming traffic - you cannot give three feet, so slow down and wait behind instead of squeezing past.
Trap: passing a school bus with red lights flashing, or passing a snowplow on the right, is a common wrong answer.