Sharing the Road with Others and Vehicle Information: Pedestrians, Blind Pedestrians, the Safe Passing Law, Motorcycles, Trucks and No-Zones, Buses, Mopeds, Bicycles and Skaters, Motorized Scooters, Low-Speed Vehicles, Trains, ATVs, Animals and Horses, and Title, Registration, Plates, Inspection and Insurance
Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the New Jersey driver license knowledge test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.
Source: New Jersey Driver Manual (2025), New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), chapter 8 "Sharing the Road with Others" (pp. 144–155) and chapter 9 "Vehicle Information" (pp. 158–161).
Pedestrians
Pedestrians were 27 percent of New Jersey traffic deaths in 2016 against a national 15 percent. Wide medians and shoulders that help drivers hurt pedestrians: a pedestrian struck at 20 mph dies 5 percent of the time, at 40 mph 85 percent. Pedestrians usually have the right-of-way at intersections, and every intersection has a crosswalk even if unmarked (unmarked crosswalk). Pedestrians must obey signals and use crosswalks at signalized intersections ($54 fine, $22 under 17). Never stop with any part of the vehicle in a crosswalk at a red light or stop sign. A driver must stop and stay stopped for a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk and yield to one in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except where police or signals control traffic or a tunnel or overpass exists; a pedestrian may not dart from the curb into the path of a car too close to stop. Violations cost up to $200, 2 points and up to 15 days' service; if a pedestrian is seriously hurt, $100 to $500, up to 25 days in jail and up to six months' suspension. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk, and on a multi-lane road stop about 30 feet before the crosswalk so the next lane's driver can see. Watch school zones, bus stops, playgrounds and parks, and movement around parked cars.
The Safe Passing Law requires passing vulnerable road users with due caution: obey passing and speed laws and move over a lane if one exists; on a single-lane road leave at least a four-foot safety zone; if four feet is impossible, slow to 25 mph and be ready to stop. Causing bodily injury by violating it brings $500 and 2 points; otherwise $100 and no points. Pedestrians and joggers should face traffic, use sidewalks, cross at crosswalks on the signal, avoid crossing between parked cars, wear light or reflective clothing at night and skip headphones. Be extra careful turning right on red and entering or leaving driveways, lots and alleys. You must stop for a blind person using a white or metallic cane, one with a guide dog, or a guide dog instructor at work.
Motorcycles, trucks and buses
The same laws govern motorcycles, but riders react differently: watch for slippery, sloped, uneven or grooved surfaces, check blind spots twice before lane changes and turns, look for motorcycles at intersections and on left turns, signal, expect riders to dodge small obstructions, leave plenty of room and never tailgate, since motorcycles stop faster; when passed by one, hold your speed and position. Failing to see motorcycles is the most common cause of motorcycle crashes.
Trucks, tractor-trailers and buses have limited visibility, long stopping distances (up to 25 percent longer in bad weather) and poor maneuverability, with no-zones where you vanish: about 10 to 20 feet in front, along the sides, and 200 feet behind. If you cannot see the driver in the truck's mirrors, you are in a no-zone. Stay well back from a truck about to back up; increase following distance so the driver can see you; never tailgate or ride sandwiched between trucks; leave space behind a truck stopped uphill, which may roll back; give room for wide turns, since a truck may swing left to turn right; keep a steady speed when passing, pull back in only when the whole front of the truck shows in your mirror, signal, and never pass a truck on the right; do not linger beside a truck; and bear right when a large vehicle approaches head-on to cut wind turbulence. Non-emergency vehicles must yield to buses re-entering traffic after a stop (not to buses changing lanes later); violations cost $50 to $200 and up to 15 days in jail.
Mopeds, bicycles, scooters and others
Mopeds are two-wheeled vehicles with pedals limited to 25 mph, riding on the right with traffic under the same rules. Bicyclists, skateboarders and inline skaters have the same rights and duties as motor vehicles and are vulnerable road users protected by the Safe Passing Law; bicycles ridden after dark need front and rear lights and a rear reflector, still hard to see. Turning right, wait for the intersection to clear and yield to riders going through; a rider turning left may use the traffic lanes or the right edge of the turn lane; check blind spots before turning, parallel parking, opening a door or pulling from the curb, turn your head rather than trusting mirrors, never turn in front of them, and turning left yield to oncoming riders and wait for a rider ahead in the left-turn lane. Motorized scooters (pocket bikes, mini choppers, motorized skateboards and other unlisted small motor vehicles) are illegal on public roads and sidewalks except designated municipal or county property, must be registered locally and insured, and may not be ridden by anyone under 12; people with mobility disabilities may use scooters capped at 15 mph on streets posted 25 mph or less (up to 35 mph if the town allows). A low-speed vehicle has four wheels, tops out between 20 and 25 mph, and cannot burn gasoline or diesel. Registered snowmobiles, ATVs and dirt bikes may not ride on public roads but may cross them when safe, with insurance and registration.
Trains and animals
Trains run on any track, either direction, any time, and appear closer and slower than they are; a freight at 55 mph needs a mile or more to stop; trains always have the right-of-way. Never race a train, never drive through flashing lights or around gates, cross only where there is room to clear completely (trains overhang three feet or more each side), never pass within 100 feet of a crossing, do not shift gears on the tracks, cross only at marked crossings, and if you stall, get out and move away at a 45-degree angle toward the train, then call the Emergency Notification number or 911. Animals dart out; swerving often causes a worse crash, so watch both sides and expect movement. Horseback riders and horse-drawn vehicles have the rights of motor vehicles: slow to 25 mph or less when approaching or passing, and stop and stay still when a rider or driver coming the other way signals with a raised hand; they need a front light from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise and in poor visibility.
Title, registration and plates
A new or used vehicle must be titled, registered and insured before it is driven; a Lemon Law vehicle carries that classification on its title. A new resident titles and registers within 60 days, sooner if the old registration expires. A new vehicle's first registration lasts four years; others typically one year. File form BA-49 at a Vehicle Center with the insurer's name and policy number, proof of ownership (certificate of origin and dealer's certificate of sale for new; a title signed by the previous owner for used; a power of attorney for leased vehicles) and proof of sales tax. Passenger vehicles get two plates, front and rear, mounted 12 to 48 inches above the ground, clean and visible, the rear one lit to be readable at 50 feet; a cover or holder that hides any lettering brings up to $100. Report lost or stolen plates to police and the MVC and replace them within 24 hours; transfer plates to a new vehicle or surrender them when a vehicle is sold, junked or insurance is canceled; forged plates bring up to $500, 60 days in jail or a six-month suspension.
Inspection and insurance
Gasoline passenger vehicles from model year 1996 on that are more than five model years old pass inspection every two years at a state station or licensed private facility, as do diesel passenger vehicles from 1997 rated 8,500 pounds or less; new passenger vehicles get a dealer sticker good for five years. Commercial vehicles are inspected annually. Bring your license, registration and insurance; a new resident's vehicle five model years or older is inspected within 14 days of registration. Liability insurance is mandatory for every registered vehicle; keep the insurance ID card (paper or electronic) in the vehicle and show it at inspection, after a crash and at traffic stops. Driving uninsured brings fines, community service, suspension of license and registration, and surcharges. Insurance fraud can bring prosecution, civil fines up to $15,000 per violation and loss of the license; report fraud anonymously to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
Practise this with New Jersey Driver License questions
More of this guide
Who must carry what, the 30-day interim and four-year digital license, basic, probationary, motorcycle, moped and CDL fees, the 6-point and 2+1+6 identity rules, GDL Options A, B and C with the six-month and 50-hour practice rules, the 11:01 p.m. to 5 a.m. and passenger restrictions, red decals, out-of-state and out-of-country drivers, non-driver IDs, organ donation, Sara's Law, Motor Voter and CDL classes and endorsements.
The 20/50 vision standard, the 50-question knowledge test and its 80 percent pass mark, test languages and interpreters, waivers for out-of-state licenses, the probationary year for 17-year-olds, the Safety Pledge to Nikhil, the 21-day voter deadline, the six-month and three-month practice rules, the road test checklist and elements, and why a vehicle is rejected.
The primary and secondary seat belt laws, the child passenger safety law by age, weight and height, air bag cutoff switches, brake and tire checks, the tint and snow-removal laws, carbon monoxide, the starting checklist and mirror setting, the three-minute idling limit, 9-and-3 and hand-over-hand steering, the stopping distance table, ABS braking, 100-foot signals and hand signals, driving in reverse, the K-turn and hill, angle and parallel parking.
The 25, 35, 50, 55 and 65 mph limits and doubled fines, Safe Corridors, center-line passing rules, keeping right, who you yield to, the crosswalk law and its penalties, controlled and uncontrolled intersections, traffic circles, acceleration and deceleration lanes and weave lanes, right on red and left turns, when you must stop, 15 feet from the tracks, 25 feet from a school bus, 300 feet behind emergency vehicles, the Move Over law, headlight rules, the no-parking list, the hand-held phone fines and littering.
The crash-prevention formula, road rage and #77, the distraction list, tired driving and highway hypnosis, one car length per 10 mph and the three-seconds-plus rule, the car-length table, being passed, hydroplaning at 35 and 55 mph, studded tires, ABS on ice, six seconds on snow, the night stopping table, 12 seconds ahead in the city, doubled work-zone fines, ignition locks, skids, 300-foot flares, running off the pavement, water escapes, stalling on tracks, brake and blowout failures, crash choices and the $500 and 10-day reporting rules.
One drink equals a half ounce of alcohol, the 0.08 and 0.01 limits and crash risk multipliers, signs police watch for, the Hero Campaign, marijuana's effects, DUI penalties for first, second and third offenses, implied consent and the breath test, the 0.05 interlock, IDRC detention, fines for reckless driving, hit-and-run, driving while suspended and the Safe Passing Law, the 12-to-14-point notice and driver programs, surcharges, points and the interstate compacts.
Signal layout and colors, arrows and flashing signals, unlit signals as four-way stops, pedestrian signals, the sign shape and color table, warning, road work, guidance and regulatory signs, the crossbuck as a yield sign, truck route signs, yellow and white line rules, edge lines, crosswalks, stop lines, HOV diamonds, slow-moving vehicle triangles, rumble strips, speed humps and roundabouts.