Sharing the road in Mississippi

By the end of this topic you can

• You can yield to pedestrians, including people using a white cane.
• You can pass a cyclist legally and safely.
• You can stay out of a large truck's blind spots and pass it correctly.
• You can respond to an approaching emergency vehicle.
• You can cross railroad tracks safely and know what to do if stuck.

What you need to know and understand

• Pedestrians in a crosswalk, marked or not, always have the right of way.
• Under Mississippi law a bicycle is a vehicle, and its rider has the same rights and duties as a driver.
• Leave at least 3 feet when passing a bicycle.
• Anyone operating or riding a motorcycle or motor scooter on public roads must wear a crash helmet.
• If you cannot see a truck's side mirrors, its driver cannot see you.
• Pull to the far right and stop for an ambulance, fire engine or police car using lights or siren.
• At a railroad crossing with lights, gates, a stop sign, a flagger or a fast-approaching train, stop between 10 and 50 feet from the nearest rail.

People on foot and on bikes

Watch for pedestrians stepping out between parked cars and entering crosswalks as you turn. A person carrying a white cane, which may have a red tip, may be blind or visually impaired; stop completely if needed.

When passing a cyclist, slow down, move into the next lane and pass as you would a car, leaving at least 3 feet. If oncoming traffic is in the way, wait behind the cyclist. Do not turn right just after passing a cyclist unless it is safe, and never cut in front of one. Cyclists usually ride two to four feet from the right edge but may move left to avoid hazards, pass or turn left. Mississippi law allows them to ride side by side if they do not hold up normal traffic.

Trucks, farm vehicles and horses

• Stay out of the area right behind a tractor-trailer and keep where the driver can see you in the side mirrors.
• A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh about 80,000 pounds and needs far longer to stop.
• Passing a large truck on a level road takes about 3 to 5 seconds longer than passing a car. Move back only when you can see its front wheels in your mirror.
• Do not pass a truck on the right if it may be turning right; it swings left first.
• Dim your headlights when following a large vehicle at night.
• Pass tractors, combines and horse-drawn vehicles with care, and never use the horn or rev the engine near horses.

Emergency vehicles and railroad tracks

Emergency vehicles using lights or a siren always have the right of way. Pull to the far right and wait until they pass; if you are in an intersection, clear it first, then pull over.

At railroad crossings, never drive around lowered gates, do not shift gears on the tracks, and watch for a second train. If your vehicle stalls on the tracks, get everyone out at once. A train may arrive about 20 seconds after the lights start. Move away at an angle toward the direction the train is coming from, then call 911. If you are stuck and no warning lights are flashing, also call the number on the blue Emergency Notification System sign at the crossing so the railroad can try to stop trains.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing past a cyclist in the same lane. Move over and leave at least 3 feet.
• Sitting beside a truck for a long time where the driver cannot see you.
• Trying to beat a train after the lights begin to flash.
• Staying in your car to restart it when it stalls on the tracks.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in Mississippi

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

Go deeper

• Learning to Drive in Mississippi
• Mississippi Road Test Waiver
• Mississippi Squatted Truck Law and Window Tint Rules