Sharing the road in District of Columbia

By the end of this topic you can

• You can stop correctly for pedestrians as DC law requires.
• You can pass cyclists and scooter riders with enough space.
• You can recognize truck and bus blind spots and stay out of them.
• You can respond correctly to emergency vehicles and school buses.
• You can cross railroad tracks safely.

What you need to know and understand

• You must stop and stay stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk who is in your lane or approaching from the next lane.
• You must leave at least 3 feet when passing a bicycle.
• Before opening a car door on the traffic side, check for cyclists and scooter riders.
• When an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren, pull to the right and stop, clear of intersections, until it passes.
• Stop for a school bus with flashing red lights. Failing to do so is a 4-point violation.
• Large trucks and buses have big blind spots. If you cannot see the driver's mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
• You may not wear headphones over both ears or earbuds in both ears while driving, so you can hear sirens and horns.

Pedestrians and cyclists come first

Expect pedestrians at every corner, not just at signals. Before turning, check the crosswalk you are turning across, and give people time to finish crossing. When passing a cyclist, wait until you can leave at least 3 feet, even if it means following slowly for a while. Before turning right, check mirrors and over your shoulder for cyclists in a bike lane, and let them pass before you cross the lane.

When you park on the street, use the hand farther from the door to open it. This turns your body so you naturally look back for cyclists.

Big vehicles and motorcycles

• Do pass trucks and buses quickly and steadily, and do not cut in close in front of them.
• Do give buses room to pull out from stops.
• Do allow extra following distance behind motorcycles, which can stop quickly.
• Don't linger beside a truck's rear wheels or directly behind it.
• Don't share a lane with a motorcycle. A motorcyclist is entitled to the full lane.

Emergency vehicles, school buses and railroad tracks

The DC road test checks how you handle real city traffic, so practice these situations on your supervised drives. Our DC road test guide has more detail on what the examiner looks for.

1. Hear a siren or see flashing lights: check where it is coming from, signal, pull to the right and stop, without blocking intersections.
2. Passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights: slow down and move over a lane if you safely can.
3. School bus with flashing red lights: stop and stay stopped until the lights go off and the bus moves.
4. Railroad crossing: slow down, look and listen both ways, and stop before the tracks if a train is coming or signals are flashing. Never stop on the tracks.

Common mistakes

• Turning right across a bike lane without checking over your shoulder.
• Opening a car door without looking for cyclists.
• Stopping in the middle of an intersection when a fire engine approaches. Clear it first, then pull over.
• Passing a cyclist with only a few inches of room because the lane is narrow. Wait until it is safe.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in District of Columbia

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

Go deeper

• DC Permit Practice Test
• DC DMV Road Test