Sharing the road in Pennsylvania

By the end of this topic you can

• You can pass a bicyclist legally and safely.
• You can give motorcyclists the space the law requires.
• You can avoid a truck's blind spots and pass it safely.
• You can respond correctly to emergency vehicles.
• You can cross railroad tracks safely.

What you need to know and understand

• Leave at least 4 feet when passing a bicycle; you may cross a double yellow line to do so when safe.
• A motorcyclist is entitled to a full lane. Never share the lane.
• After an emergency vehicle passes, stay at least 500 feet behind it.
• Never park within 50 feet of the nearest rail at a railroad crossing.
• At highway speed a loaded truck needs far more distance to stop than a car.
• Yield to blind pedestrians with a white cane or guide dog.

People on foot and on bicycles

Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections, check for them before backing, and never wave one into a lane where other traffic may not stop. Do not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk until you know no one is crossing in front of it.

Bicyclists are vehicle operators with the same rights. When you pass one, leave at least 4 feet, and you may cross the center double yellow line if it is safe. Do not turn across a cyclist riding straight, and never force one off the road. On single-lane roads a cyclist may use the full lane to avoid hazards. Before opening your door, use the Dutch Reach: open it with your far hand so you turn and see bikes coming.

Motorcycles, trucks and slow vehicles

• Give a motorcycle a full lane and at least the same four-second following distance you give cars, more in poor weather.
• Many motorcycle crashes involve a car turning left in front of the rider. Look twice before turning.
• Trucks have large blind spots on all sides. If you cannot see the driver in their mirror, they cannot see you.
• After passing a truck, wait until you see its headlights in your mirror before moving back in.
• Orange triangles mark slow-moving vehicles such as tractors and horse-drawn buggies. Hang back, pass only when legal and do not honk near horses.

Emergency vehicles and trains

1. When you hear a siren or see flashing red, or red and blue, lights, pull over as close to the right edge as you can and stop, keeping clear of intersections.
2. On a one-way street, pull toward the nearest roadside.
3. Move off again only after it passes, staying at least 500 feet behind it, and check that no other emergency vehicle is coming.
4. At railroad crossings, look left, right and left again, and stop when lights flash, gates are down or a train sounds.
5. With more than one track, wait until you can see clearly down both before crossing.
6. If you are ever stuck on the tracks with a train coming, get out and move well away from the tracks.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing past a cyclist in the same lane with only a couple of feet to spare.
• Assuming a motorcycle's flashing signal means it is turning. Signals may not cancel automatically.
• Driving alongside a truck for a long time, in its blind spot.
• Starting across the tracks the moment a train passes, without checking for a second train.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in Pennsylvania

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

Go deeper

• Pennsylvania Road Test
• Pennsylvania Move Over Law and Steer Clear Rules Explained
• PA Hands-Free Law