Sharing the road in Kansas

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain when you must yield to pedestrians.
• You can pass a bicyclist legally and safely.
• You can describe a truck's No-Zones and how to avoid them.
• You can respond correctly to an approaching emergency vehicle.
• You can stop at the right distance for a railroad crossing signal.

What you need to know and understand

• Yield to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks, and give a pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog the right of way at all times.
• When passing a bicycle going your way, leave at least three feet.
• You may pass a bicycle in a no-passing zone, but only when it is safe to do so.
• Motorcycles have the right to a full lane; do not share a lane with one.
• For an approaching emergency vehicle with siren and lights, pull to the right edge clear of intersections and stop until it passes.
• When a railroad signal warns of a train, stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail.
• Never drive around or under a lowered crossing gate.

People on foot and on bikes

Pedestrians are hardest to protect because they have no protection at all. Yield at crosswalks, which exist at intersections even when no lines are painted. Do not sound your horn at a visually impaired pedestrian, because it can confuse them or their guide dog.

Bicyclists ride with traffic and may use the full road. Slow down, wait for a safe gap and pass with at least three feet to spare. Do not pass a cyclist just before turning right across their path, and check for bikes before opening your door when parked.

Big vehicles and their blind spots

Large trucks and buses have No-Zones on the sides, front and rear where the driver cannot see you. If you cannot see the driver's face in their side mirror, they cannot see you. The handbook says a loaded truck at 55 mph needs at least 335 feet to stop, so never cut in front of one.

• Do not linger beside a truck, especially on its right side.
• When passing, wait until you see the whole front of the truck in your rearview mirror before moving back.
• Follow far enough back that the driver can see you in their mirrors.
• Give farm machinery extra room; it may be wide and very slow.

Emergency vehicles and trains

1. Siren and lights behind or ahead: move to the right edge, clear of any intersection, and stop.
2. Wait until it passes, check for more emergency vehicles, then rejoin traffic. Do not follow closely; the handbook advises staying at least 500 feet back.
3. Railroad signals flashing, gate down or train close: stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail.
4. Go only when the train has passed well down the track and the signals and gates show it is safe.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing past a cyclist with oncoming traffic instead of waiting for a gap that allows three feet.
• Driving alongside a semi-truck for miles in its blind spot.
• Pulling over in the middle of an intersection when a fire truck approaches.
• Stopping on the tracks in a traffic queue. Only cross when there is room on the other side.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in Kansas

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

Go deeper

• Kansas Permit Practice Test
• Kansas 50 Hour Supervised Driving Affidavit
• Kansas Driving Test and the Driver’s Ed Waiver