Photo: waferboard, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Saskatchewan you must yield to any pedestrian, wheelchair or medical scooter user crossing at an intersection, pass cyclists the way you would pass a car with plenty of room, never move into a lane beside a motorcycle, and expect e-scooters only in communities whose bylaws allow them. This guide sets out SGI’s rules for sharing the road with the most vulnerable road users, from the 2026-27 Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook.
Pedestrians: who has the right of way?
- At an intersection, you must yield the right of way to any pedestrian crossing the street.
- Stop before the crosswalk. It is either painted on the road or an imaginary extension of the sidewalk.
- If the light changes while a pedestrian is still in the crosswalk, the pedestrian has the right of way.
- Stop when a school crossing guard directs you to.
- You may not pass a vehicle that has stopped at an intersection to let pedestrians cross.
- Pedestrians must give drivers a chance to stop before stepping out, and when walking along a road they should use the left shoulder, facing traffic. Expect people on the shoulder on rural roads.
Jaywalkers
Jaywalking is crossing outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Always be ready to stop for someone about to step out in front of you, but do not stop and wave a jaywalker across. The driver behind may not expect you to stop, and drivers in other lanes may not see the pedestrian walking out in front of your car.
Crossing urban streets
You may drive across a street only at an intersection, lane or alley. Some cities ban crossing at a lane or alley by bylaw, so check local rules.
Wheelchairs and medical scooters
SGI counts people using a wheelchair, motorized wheelchair or medical scooter as pedestrians. The same rules apply:
- Yield to anyone crossing in a wheelchair or medical scooter at an intersection, and stop before the crosswalk.
- On a wide street, this does not apply if the person is a safe distance from your side of the street.
- Do not pass a vehicle stopped to let them cross.
- Where there is no sidewalk, they should travel on the left shoulder facing traffic, and they may use the first driveway to get onto the sidewalk if there is no accessible curb. They should also have a brightly coloured flag to make them easier to see. Watch for it, especially near driveways.
How much room should you give a cyclist in Saskatchewan?
SGI’s rule is to pass a cyclist as you would any other vehicle: give them room and do not pass too closely. Check your city’s bylaws for any set distance. When overtaking a bicycle or motorcycle in your lane, you must pass in the same manner as you would pass a car, which can mean changing lanes.
The rest of SGI’s cyclist checklist:
- Turning left: stop and wait for oncoming bicycles to pass.
- Turning right: watch for cyclists pulling up beside you, check your blind spot, and never pull alongside a cyclist and then turn across them.
- Intersections: scan for cyclists waiting to turn left. They are allowed to turn left the same way drivers do and need extra room on multi-lane roads.
- Following: keep a safe following distance. Bicycles have no brake lights.
- Speed: cyclists can travel faster than you think, up to 50 km/h going downhill.
- Swerving: expect them to move out around drainage grates, potholes, gravel, sand, wet surfaces, ruts and even dogs.
- Pulling out and opening doors: check for cyclists every time you leave the curb and before you open your door.
- Horn: do not use it unnecessarily when passing. It can startle a cyclist into your path.
- Hand signals: a cyclist may signal a right turn by holding out the right arm. Make eye contact where you can.
E-bikes (power-assisted bicycles), including models that look like scooters with pedals, are treated the same as any other cyclist.
Bike lanes and sharrows
Bike lanes are reserved for cyclists. You may enter or cross one only to turn right, reach a parking space or enter a lane or driveway, and only after checking it is safe. A sharrow (bicycle symbol with chevrons) means the lane is shared; it does not mean you can pass a cyclist within the lane. The full lane rules are in the Saskatchewan rules of the road study guide.
Motorcycles: check twice
When a motorcycle and a car collide, the rider is at high risk of death or serious injury. Motorcycles are agile, so their moves are harder to predict, and their size makes them hard to see. SGI’s rules for drivers:
| Situation | What SGI says |
|---|---|
| Lane change or turn in riding season | Check twice: once for cars and trucks, once for motorcycles and bikes |
| Turning left | Failing to see an oncoming motorcycle when turning left is a significant factor in motorcycle collisions. Look for it before you go |
| Following | Give the same three-second following distance as for any vehicle, and more on wet or slippery roads |
| Passing | Pass as you would a car, and leave plenty of room ahead of the motorcycle before pulling back in |
| Sharing a lane | Never move into a lane beside a motorcycle, even if the lane is wide and the rider is to one side. It is illegal and extremely hazardous |
| Lane position | A skilled rider keeps changing position within the lane to see, be seen and avoid objects. This is normal, not a sign they are about to turn |
| Headlights | Most motorcycles have headlights on at all times. Be alert for ones that do not |
New riders in Saskatchewan display a Motorcycle Graduated Driver Licensing placard on their licence plate: a red “L” for learners and a green “N” for novices. Give them extra space when passing or following. Riders and passengers must wear an approved motorcycle helmet, and eye protection if the bike has no windshield deflecting the air from their face. Two motorcycles may ride in the same lane, but a motorcycle may not ride beside any other type of vehicle in the same lane.
Are e-scooters legal in Saskatchewan?
Only in communities that have passed e-scooter bylaws. SGI classes e-scooters (electric kick scooters) as limited speed motor vehicles. Where they are allowed:
- they do not need to be registered, and riders do not need a driver’s licence;
- riders must be at least 16 and wear an approved helmet;
- riders must follow municipal bylaws and provincial law.
Rules vary between communities, so check with the municipality you are driving in. For example, the City of Regina allows shared and personal e-scooters on park and multi-use pathways, bike lanes and roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less, but not on sidewalks, with a top speed of 24 km/h on roadways and 15 km/h on pathways. Saskatoon also runs a shared e-scooter program; check saskatoon.ca for its current season and rules.
As a driver, treat an e-scooter much like a cyclist: expect it in bike lanes and on the right of the road, give it room when passing, and check for it before turning right.
Large trucks and buses
- A truck can carry 50 or more times the weight of a car and takes longer to stop. Avoid forcing a driver to slow down, and don’t cut in front right after passing.
- Trucks slow going uphill and pick up speed going down. Plan your pass around that.
- Avoid the “no-zone”, the large blind spots on both sides, in front and deep behind. If you can’t see the truck’s mirrors, the driver can’t see you. Keep your headlights on.
- Before pulling back in front of a truck, make sure you can see the entire cab in your rear-view mirror.
- A large truck or bus has trouble with sharp corners, especially right turns. Give it room: oncoming drivers should expect it to enter their half of the road, and drivers on its right should stay well back so they aren’t caught against the curb.
- Wind from a passing truck can push your car around. Look where you want to go and steer there.
Emergency vehicles
- Lights flashing or siren on: drive as close as you can to the right edge and don’t enter the next intersection until it has passed. On a one-way street, go to the nearest curb. A peace officer’s directions override this.
- At an intersection, stop and let it through.
- Give the same room to one with lights flashing and no siren.
- Passing one stopped on the highway with lights on: 60 km/h maximum. This covers oncoming traffic on an undivided highway, but not the opposite side of a divided highway.
- Never follow an emergency vehicle going to or coming from an emergency.
Other road users in the same handbook section
- School buses: see school bus stopping rules across Canada.
- Emergency vehicles and tow trucks with lights flashing (slow to 60 km/h): see slow down, move over.
- Farm equipment, snowmobiles and ATVs: see Saskatchewan rural and gravel road driving.
- Funeral processions: do not interfere with or interrupt them. They must still obey traffic signs and signals, unless all drivers with the right of way stop to let the procession through.
Common questions
Do I have to stop for a pedestrian waiting at a crosswalk in Saskatchewan?
You must yield to pedestrians who are crossing at an intersection and stop before the crosswalk. Pedestrians in turn must not step out until drivers have had a chance to stop.
Is it legal to pass a cyclist on a solid line?
SGI’s handbook says not to cross solid or double solid yellow lines to pass, and makes no exception for cyclists. Wait behind until it is legal and safe to pass with room.
Will sharing the road be on the SGI written test?
It is part of the handbook’s rules of the road chapter. See SGI written test.
Back to learning to drive in Saskatchewan.
Sources
- SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook: A guide to safe driving 2026-27”, chapter 3, sections 3.4 Sharing the road, 3.15 Turning, 3.21 Pedestrians, 3.22 Crossing urban streets, 3.23 Wheelchairs and medical scooters and 3.24 Motorcycles (sgi.sk.ca)
- City of Regina, “E-Scooters” (beheard.regina.ca)