Sharing the Road: Pedestrians, Cyclists, Motorcyclists, Commercial Vehicles, and School Buses
What this domain tests
Sharing the road tests legal duties toward pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, commercial vehicles, and school buses. The exam looks for specific spacing, stopping, and yielding rules.
Core rules
- Pedestrians in a marked crosswalk, and often at unmarked intersections, have the right of way; drivers must stop and yield.
- New Jersey's Safe Passing Law requires drivers to move over at least four feet when passing a bicyclist or other vulnerable road user; if that is not possible, slow to 25 mph or less.
- Motorcyclists are entitled to a full lane; do not share a lane or pass too closely.
- School buses with red lights flashing require a stop, including from the opposite direction on an undivided road. On a divided highway with a median or barrier, opposite-direction traffic generally need not stop.
- Large trucks have large no-zones; avoid lingering beside or directly behind them.
Worked example
A driver on a two-lane road comes upon a school bus with red lights flashing and the stop arm out. The driver must stop and remain stopped until the lights stop and the arm retracts, even if no child is visible. Passing would violate the school bus stop law.
Traps that cost marks
Do not pass a bicyclist with less than four feet and claim the lane was narrow. Do not assume a school bus stop applies only to traffic behind the bus. Do not ride in a truck's blind spot.