Sharing the Road: Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Motorcyclists, Commercial Vehicles, Emergency Vehicles, Traffic Stops, the Move-Over Law and Slow-Moving Vehicles: Yielding Even Outside Crosswalks, Stopping for White Canes and Guide Dogs, School Zones, Bicyclists' Rights, Bike Lanes and Hand Signals, a Full Lane and Four Seconds for Motorcycles, the Side, Front and Rear No Zones, 335 Feet to Stop a Truck, Wide Right Turns, Stop Lines, What to Do When Police Stop You, Weapons and Tickets, Never Running, Moving Over or Slowing Down, and the Orange Triangle Under 25 mph

Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the South Carolina beginner's permit knowledge test. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.

Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual (SCDMV, AAMVA-based, March 2026 file), Section 10 "Sharing the Road" (pages 10-1 to 10-16).

Pedestrians

Pedestrians are hard to see and their intentions hard to read. Always be ready to yield even outside a crosswalk; you must yield when a pedestrian is in any crosswalk, marked or unmarked, including mid-block crosswalks with signs and markings; you must come to a complete stop for a pedestrian guided by a dog or carrying a white cane; you must yield to every pedestrian in the intersection even on a green light; and turning right on red you must be ready to yield. Beside parked or stopped vehicles, slow down and do not pass until sure no one is crossing in front; check for pedestrians before backing, especially in parking lots; drive below the limit near playgrounds and homes where children dart out; obey the lower school-zone limit when lights flash or children are present, and stop for a traffic patrol's signal at a school crossing.

Bicyclists

Bicycles are vehicles with the same rights, privileges and responsibilities, required to follow the same rules. They are hard to see and vary in skill: a skilled rider holds a steady line, an unskilled one may swerve, ignore signs and ride unlit at night, so expect sudden moves. Yield to bicyclists in intersections as to anyone else; yield where a bike path or lane crosses a road, and never stop, park or drive on one except to enter or leave an alley or driveway, on official duty, under police direction or in an emergency; slow down and give as much space as possible when approaching or passing, and let a rider clear the intersection before you turn; avoid slowing or stopping quickly in front of one, since your brakes are stronger; avoid the horn unless a collision threatens, because it can startle a rider into your path; watch for riders entering your lane and for children riding sidewalks; never turn sharply in front of a rider or force one off the road; look for riders anywhere even though they must ride with traffic; take extra care when the road is wet, sandy or graveled; and read a rider's head turns and shoulder checks, since riders must signal turns and stops but may need both hands on the bars. Riders signal a stop with the left arm bent down, a left turn with the left arm straight out, and a right turn with either the right arm straight out or the left arm bent up. Check beside and behind for riders before opening a door on the street, and before backing, especially near schools and homes.

Motorcyclists

Motorcyclists have the same rights and duties but are harder to see. Give a rider the full lane width and never share it, since the rider needs room to react. Check mirrors and blind spots for them, and before a left turn look carefully to the front and sides. Do not assume a flashing motorcycle signal means a turn; they may not self-cancel, so wait to be sure. Follow a motorcycle by at least four seconds, more when wet, because riders may change speed or position suddenly for potholes, gravel, slick surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings and grooved pavement, all of which can be deadly to them. Scooters and mopeds travel much slower than motorcycles.

Commercial vehicles

More than 250,000 car-truck collisions happen each year. Commercial vehicles are bigger and less maneuverable, have far larger blind spots, and need longer to stop, accelerate and turn. The No Zone is where cars vanish from the truck driver's view, on the sides, rear and front. Side no zones are much bigger than a car's, and the right side is the largest, from behind the cab along the whole truck: if you cannot see the driver's face in the side mirror, the driver cannot see you, so never ride alongside longer than necessary. The front no zone matters because a loaded truck at 55 mph under ideal conditions needs at least 335 feet to stop, more than 1½ times a car's distance; never enter a road or change lanes in front of a large vehicle, and when passing wait until its whole front shows in your mirror and keep your speed. The rear no zone extends up to 200 feet; following too closely means the driver cannot see you and you cannot see ahead, so hang back where you appear in the side mirrors. On steep hills large vehicles crawl at about 35 mph in the right lane, so avoid that lane on hills and near weigh stations where trucks re-enter traffic. Watch truck signals and give room: a truck or bus turning right may swing wide left first or borrow other lanes, and squeezing between it and the curb invites a crushing collision, so wait until the turn is done. Meeting a truck head-on, keep far right to avoid a sideswipe and to lessen the wind turbulence that pushes the vehicles apart. Many intersection crashes come from misjudging an oncoming truck's speed before a left turn; when in doubt, do not turn in its path. Stop lines set you back to give big vehicles turning room, so always stop behind them, and never cut off a truck to reach an exit, a turn or a one-lane work zone.

Emergency vehicles and traffic stops

Emergency vehicles use sirens, flashing lights and special horns; when they are on, yield by pulling to the edge of the road so they can pass, without blocking intersections, roads or driveways. When an officer stops you, stay calm, signal, pull to the side as soon as it is safe, turn off the ignition and radio, turn on the hazard flashers, and stay in the vehicle unless told to get out, hands on the wheel, passengers calm, belted and with hands in view, no phones, no sudden moves, and no reaching for documents until asked. Report every weapon in the vehicle at first contact, following concealed weapons permit procedures if you hold one. At night the officer may use a spotlight; turn on the interior lights. Roll down the window; the officer usually explains the stop, and you may ask for credentials from an unmarked or non-uniformed officer. Tell the officer where documents are and ask before reaching. If asked out, stay clear of traffic with hands visible. You may get a warning or ticket; ask respectfully for clarification, do not argue, and contest it in court. Accepting a ticket is not an admission of guilt, and in South Carolina you are not required to sign one, though refusing can mean arrest in other states. Report misconduct to the officer's agency named on the ticket. An officer with probable cause that a crime was committed may search the vehicle without a warrant; make no threats, keep your emotions under control, never interfere with an arrest, never resist, and never run, since police chases cause deadly crashes and the consequences far exceed any ticket.

The Move-Over law and slow-moving vehicles

Because officers, medics, firefighters and tow operators keep being struck at roadside, South Carolina and most states require drivers approaching a stopped authorized emergency vehicle to proceed with caution, slow down and yield by changing into a lane away from it if safety and traffic permit, or if a lane change is unsafe, to slow and proceed with caution at a safe speed. A fluorescent or reflective orange and red triangle on the rear of an animal-drawn vehicle or farm or construction equipment means it travels under 25 mph; use caution and be sure it is safe before passing. Farm machinery crosses and travels rural highways and its operator probably cannot hear you over the machine. Animal-drawn vehicles and horseback riders have the same rights and duties as motor vehicles and are badly hurt when hit; pass with caution, never honk or rev, which can spook the animal, expect left turns into fields and driveways, and watch for the warning signs posted where they are common.

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