Passing a Motorcycle Before a Blind Hill
You are southbound on a two-lane rural road posted 55 mph. Ahead, a single motorcycle is traveling 44 mph. You have followed it for a mile. The centerline is solid yellow, and about 300 feet ahead the road rises over a blind hill. A dashed white line marks the right edge, but there is no shoulder-just gravel. Your phone buzzes in the cup holder with a text. You want to reach a town 12 miles away. An oncoming pickup appears just as you pull toward the centerline to look for a passing gap. The motorcycle stays near the center of its lane, not the right edge. You have a clear view for only about four seconds before the hill crest.
1. Can you legally pass now? Explain.
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No. The centerline is solid yellow, so you are in a no-passing zone; 300 feet before a blind hill is far too little sight distance, and an oncoming pickup is already visible. Even if the motorcycle is slow, a legal pass requires a clear view and a legal zone. Pulling left just to look puts your vehicle in the oncoming lane.
2. When a legal passing zone comes, how should you pass the motorcycle?
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Wait for a dashed yellow/white zone and a clear view over the crest. Signal, check mirror and blind spot, and pass only when you can see enough road to complete the pass without forcing anyone to brake. Leave the motorcycle the full lane-do not share the lane or squeeze it toward the gravel. Missouri requires at least 3 feet of clearance when passing a bicycle; for a motorcycle, give a full lane width. Return only when you see the motorcycle in your mirror.
3. What should you do with the buzzing phone?
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Ignore the buzz. A text is not worth a blind-hill pass. If you must read or send, pull off at a safe lot; the gravel shoulder is not safe. Put the phone out of reach and focus on the oncoming pickup, the hill crest, and the motorcycle's lane position.