Sharing the road in Alabama

By the end of this topic you can

• You can pass a person on a bicycle legally and safely.
• You can share a lane properly with motorcycles.
• You can stay out of a truck or bus driver's No-Zones.
• You can respond correctly to emergency vehicles.
• You can cross railroad tracks safely and know what to do if you stall.

What you need to know and understand

• Alabama law requires at least 3 feet between your vehicle and a person on a bicycle when you pass.
• Bicyclists have the same rights and duties as drivers and may ride two abreast.
• Motorcycles are entitled to a full lane. Never drive alongside one in the same lane.
• A truck's rear No-Zone can stretch about 200 feet behind it.
• When a vehicle with a siren and flashing red or blue lights approaches, pull to the side and stop.
• A freight train at 55 mph can need a mile or more to stop.

People on bicycles

Cyclists ride with traffic and as far right as practical, but they may move out to pass, turn left or avoid debris, opening car doors or pedestrians. Where a bike lane exists they must use it, and you may enter it only to park, enter or leave the road, or prepare to turn. When turning across a bike lane, move into it before the turn only if it is safe for any cyclist there.

Pass with at least 3 feet of space, and avoid passing on hills, curves or when oncoming traffic is near. If you cannot pass safely, stay back and do not blast your horn. Bike brakes work less well in the rain, so give extra room.

Motorcycles

• Look twice before turning left. Many car and motorcycle crashes happen when a driver turns across an oncoming rider.
• Make sure a motorcycle is actually turning before you pull out. Its turn signal may not cancel itself.
• Keep at least a 2-second following distance, and more in rain or at night.
• Expect riders to change speed or position for gravel, grooved pavement, metal bridges and rail tracks.

Trucks and buses

Large vehicles have big blind spots called No-Zones beside, behind and in front of them. If you cannot see the driver's face in their side mirror, they cannot see you. Pass on the left and do it promptly. Do not pull back in until you can see the whole front of the truck in your rear-view mirror, because at 55 mph a loaded truck needs about 430 feet to stop compared with about 193 feet for a car. Never squeeze between a right-turning truck and the curb, never cross behind a backing truck, and dim your high beams when following one at night.

Pedestrians, emergency vehicles and trains

1. Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks where there are no signals, and do not block crosswalks while waiting.
2. Yield to a blind pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog, and stop for school safety patrols.
3. For an emergency vehicle with siren and red or blue lights, pull to the side and stop, clearing any intersection first. Do not follow within 500 feet.
4. At a railroad crossing with flashing lights or a lowered gate, stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail. Never drive around gates.
5. If your car stalls on the tracks, get everyone out and away at once, then call for help.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing past a cyclist with less than 3 feet because the oncoming lane is busy. Wait behind until it is clear.
• Cutting in right after passing a truck. Wait until its whole front is visible in your mirror.
• Assuming a blinking motorcycle signal means the rider is turning.
• Driving across the tracks as soon as one train passes. Check for a second train first.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in Alabama

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Alabama GDL Law
• Alabama Hands-Free Law and Point System
• Alabama Road Test Checklist