Sharing the Road: Bicycles, Trucks, Motorcycles, Pedestrians and School Buses

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Florida Class E knowledge exam. The facts follow the official handbook; the wording is ours.

Source: Florida Class E Driver License Handbook, rev. 08/2023, chapter "Sharing the Road" (pp. 81–89).

Bicyclists

In Florida a bicycle is legally a vehicle, with the same rights and duties on public roads as a car, except on limited access highways. A bicyclist may leave the bike lane for the travel lane when the road is narrow, to avoid hazards, or to prepare a left turn, and may take the whole lane, even below traffic speed, when the lane is too narrow to share safely. Bicyclists may ride on sidewalks but must yield to pedestrians there and in crosswalks.

Rules for drivers: give a bicyclist at least three feet of clearance and slow down when passing; on a two-lane road pass as you would a slow vehicle, only when safe; at intersections assume the cyclist is going straight unless they signal, and yield as to any vehicle; when a turn takes you across a bike lane, yield and turn behind the cyclist; do not follow closely; dip your high beams for an approaching cyclist at night; check behind for cyclists before opening a door; and do not honk at them.

Rules for bicyclists: obey all traffic controls; ride in the bike lane, or as far right as practicable if there is none, when slower than traffic; take the lane to turn left, pass, avoid hazards or when it is too narrow to share; on a one-way street with two or more lanes they may ride on the left; signal turns by hand; never hitch to a vehicle; on sidewalks and crosswalks they have a pedestrian's rights and duties but must yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing; between sunset and sunrise a white front light visible from 500 feet and a red rear reflector and red light visible from 600 feet; brakes that stop the bike within 25 feet from 10 mph; helmets for every rider and passenger under 16; a proper seat, sling or trailer for a child under 4 or under 40 pounds, and never a child left in a seat while the bike is unattended; no more than two abreast, and single file when impeding traffic; no headphones in both ears; and no riding under the influence.

Commercial vehicles

Trucks and buses have large blind spots in front, behind and on both sides, the No Zones, where a car is invisible despite the mirrors. Stay out of them and do not tailgate. Stopped behind a truck on a hill, leave room for it to roll back and keep left in your lane so the driver can see you. Do not use high beams behind a truck at night; they reflect off its big mirrors. When a truck comes the other way, keep right to avoid a sideswipe. Trucks swing wide to the left to make a right turn: never squeeze between a turning truck and the curb. Never cross behind a truck that is backing or about to.

Passing a truck: check ahead and behind, signal, flash your headlights to let the driver know, pass on the left, and get through the blind spot quickly. Do not cut back in until you can see the truck's cab in your mirror (the driver may flash the lights to say it is safe), and avoid passing on a downgrade, where the truck's weight makes it speed up. When a truck passes you, keep right and do not speed up.

Emergency vehicles and funerals

Everyone, including cyclists and pedestrians, must yield to police, fire and other emergency vehicles using sirens or flashing lights: pull to the nearest edge of the road immediately and stop until they have passed, without blocking an intersection. Funeral processions also have the right-of-way: once the lead vehicle enters an intersection the rest may follow through regardless of signals; their headlights or hazard lights are the signal not to cut in.

Golf carts and low-speed vehicles

A golf cart may be driven only on golf courses and on roads a county or city has designated for them, marked by signs. Under 18, the driver needs a learner's or driver license; 18 and older, a government photo ID. Daylight hours only, unless the local government allows more and the cart has headlights, brake lights, turn signals and a windshield. Golf carts may cross a state road only at an intersection with a traffic control device and where the limit is 45 mph or less, and may use a sidewalk only if it is at least 5 feet wide, yielding to pedestrians. Child safety seats are not designed for golf carts or low-speed vehicles.

A low-speed vehicle tops out at 21–25 mph. It requires a driver license, may use only streets posted 35 mph or less, must carry headlamps, stop lamps, signals, tail lamps, reflectors, a parking brake, mirrors, a windshield, safety belts and a VIN, and must be registered and insured.

Motorcycles and mopeds

Riders have the same rights and duties as drivers and get the same tickets.

Rules for drivers: never share a lane with a motorcycle; it is entitled to the whole lane. Look carefully before entering an intersection or changing lanes, because a motorcycle's small profile makes its speed and distance hard to judge; it is closer than it looks. Do not follow closely: motorcycles stop faster than cars, and riders often slow by downshifting or rolling off the throttle, which shows no brake light. Never pass with only a few feet to spare; the wind blast can unseat the rider. When a motorcycle passes you, hold your position and do not speed up. Keep more than a four-second buffer, and more still in bad weather, gusty wind, wet or icy roads, potholes, gravel and at railroad crossings. Signal every lane change; it is one of the most useful things you can do for riders. Driver-assistance sensors may not detect motorcycles.

Rules for riders: be at least 16; under 18, hold a learner's license for 12 months with no moving violations before a Motorcycle Only license; complete an approved safety course and get the endorsement or Motorcycle Only license; wear a helmet unless you are 21 or older and carry medical insurance of at least $10,000. Moped riders need a Class E license but no endorsement. Neither must carry PIP insurance. Both must be registered yearly and tagged, and neither may use bicycle or foot paths.

Pedestrians

The driver must do everything possible to avoid hitting a pedestrian. In a crosswalk or driveway, bicyclists, skateboarders and skaters count as pedestrians.

Rules for drivers: stop, and stay stopped, for pedestrians crossing at any marked crossing or intersection; stop for pedestrians on the sidewalk when entering or leaving an alley, driveway or private road; never stop with any part of the vehicle in a crosswalk at a red light; never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk, and assume someone is crossing even if you see no one; stop before turning right on red and look both ways; and come to a complete stop, yield and use extra care for a blind pedestrian with a white cane (red-tipped) or a guide dog, for people using a walker, crutch, cane or wheelchair, and for children or anyone confused or incapacitated.

Rules for pedestrians: use the sidewalk when there is one; without one, walk on the left shoulder, facing traffic; cross at intersections or crosswalks (a crosswalk at an intersection exists even if unmarked); yield to vehicles when crossing anywhere other than a crosswalk, and in a crosswalk when the signal is red or says DON'T WALK. Never step out from between parked cars; stop at the curb and look left, right, then left again; wear bright or reflective colors and carry a flashlight at night; and do not text or wear headphones while walking.

Transit buses: drivers must yield to a public bus that has signaled and is pulling back into traffic from a designated bay in the same direction.

School buses and school crossings

Passing a school bus that is displaying its stop signal is illegal. On a two-way road, traffic in both directions must stop for a bus loading or unloading children and stay stopped until the stop arm is withdrawn and the children are clear. On a highway divided by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least five feet wide, traffic going the opposite way need not stop, though it should proceed with caution; painted lines are not a barrier. Traffic going the same direction as the bus must always stop.

School signs mark school zones and crossings. Crossing guards are the first into and the last out of a crosswalk; when children or a guard are in the crosswalk you must yield and stop at the stop line, not in the crosswalk.

Slow-moving vehicles

Farm vehicles built for speeds under 25 mph must show the orange slow-moving-vehicle emblem on the rear when on public roads (never on interstates), and may run only in daylight unless fitted with the lights and reflectors required at night.

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