Sharing the Road

Study questions with answers

12 sample Sharing the Road questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. A large truck or bus is making a right turn in front of you and swings wide to the left first. You should:

   Correct answer: Stay back and never squeeze to the right of the truck

   Trucks and buses often swing wide (even into the left lane) to complete a right turn. Never try to squeeze between the vehicle and the curb — you could be crushed. Wait until the turn is complete.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Trucks

2. 2. When passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction, you must give a clearance of at least:

   Correct answer: 3 feet

   California's Three Feet for Safety Act requires at least 3 feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist. If you cannot, slow down and pass only when it is safe.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Bicyclists

3. 3. The vehicle in the lane next to you comes to a stop at a marked crosswalk. Before passing it, you should:

   Correct answer: Slow or stop, because a pedestrian may be crossing

   A vehicle stopped at a crosswalk may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot yet see. It is illegal to pass it, and doing so risks a 'multiple-threat' collision. Slow or stop until you are sure no one is crossing.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Pedestrians / Crosswalks

4. 4. A pedestrian who is using a white cane or a guide dog is:

   Correct answer: Always entitled to the right-of-way

   A pedestrian using a white cane or guide dog is likely blind or visually impaired and always has the right-of-way. Stop and let them cross safely, and avoid honking.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Pedestrians

5. 5. When you are near a motorcyclist, you should remember that in California, motorcyclists:

   Correct answer: May legally split lanes, so watch for them

   Motorcycles are entitled to a full lane, and in California lane splitting (riding between lanes of traffic) is legal. Motorcycles are small and easy to miss, so check your mirrors and blind spots.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Motorcyclists

6. 6. Large trucks have big blind spots (sometimes called "No-Zones"). To stay safe, you should:

   Correct answer: Avoid lingering beside or close behind the truck

   Trucks have large blind spots to the sides, front, and rear. Avoid lingering in them; if you cannot see the driver's mirrors, they cannot see you. Trucks also need much more distance to stop.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Trucks

7. 7. You come up behind a vehicle displaying an orange triangle with a red border (a slow-moving-vehicle emblem). You should expect that vehicle to:

   Correct answer: Travel at 25 mph or less, so slow down and be patient

   The orange triangle marks a vehicle that travels 25 mph or less, such as farm equipment. Slow down, stay back, and pass only when it is legal and safe.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road / Slow-Moving Vehicles

8. 8. Traveling at 55 mph, an average passenger vehicle can stop within about 300 feet. A large loaded truck traveling at the same speed may need:

   Correct answer: Up to 400 feet to stop

   A heavy vehicle moving at 55 mph might need as much as 400 feet before it comes to rest, versus roughly 300 feet for an ordinary car — reason enough to never cut closely in front of one.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Trucks

9. 9. A streetcar, trolley, or bus has paused at a designated safety zone (or a traffic light) to let riders on and off. What is the fastest speed at which you may go around it?

   Correct answer: 10 mph

   Drivers passing this kind of stopped transit vehicle must keep their speed to 10 mph or below.

   Source: California Driver Handbook — Buses, Streetcars, and Trolleys

10. 10. When sharing the road with a horse-drawn vehicle or a person riding a horse, it is illegal to:

    Correct answer: Intentionally scare the horse or livestock

    Deliberately startling a horse or other livestock that is sharing the roadway with motor vehicles is a violation of state law.

    Source: California Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Animal-Drawn Vehicles

11. 11. A school bus ahead has stopped and is flashing red lights with its stop arm out. You must:

    Correct answer: Stop until the red lights stop flashing

    When a school bus flashes red lights, you must stop from both directions and stay stopped until the lights stop flashing. The exception: you need not stop if you are on the opposite side of a divided or multilane highway.

    Source: California Driver Handbook — School Buses

12. 12. When approaching a light rail vehicle on the tracks, you should never:

    Correct answer: Turn in front of an approaching light rail vehicle

    Cutting across the path of an oncoming light rail vehicle is never safe, so look for one before crossing its tracks; be aware these vehicles can also change nearby traffic signals.

    Source: California Driver Handbook — Light Rail Vehicles