Sharing the road in Rhode Island

By the end of this topic you can

• You can yield correctly to pedestrians, including those who are blind.
• You can pass a cyclist safely and avoid dooring.
• You can stay out of a truck's blind spots.
• You can cross railroad tracks safely and react if you stall on them.

What you need to know and understand

• Every intersection is a legal crosswalk, marked or not.
• Stop before the intersection for a pedestrian using a white cane or guide dog; fines can reach $1,000.
• Bicycles are vehicles with the same rights as cars; give 3 to 5 feet or more when passing.
• Opening a door into traffic when it is not safe is against Rhode Island law.
• Trucks have blind spots in front, along both sides and behind; stay well back.
• Pull right and stop for emergency vehicles, and follow no closer than 500 feet.
• A train may need a mile and a half to stop.

People on foot

Watch for pedestrians stepping out between parked cars, crossing against the light or crossing away from a marked crosswalk. Even when they cross carelessly, you must yield. Children and older adults need extra care.

If a pedestrian with a white cane or a guide dog is crossing or about to cross, stop completely before the intersection and let them cross. Blind pedestrians use traffic sound to judge crossings, so be extra careful in a quiet hybrid or electric car.

Cyclists and dooring

• Give cyclists as much room as possible when passing; the manual suggests 3 to 5 feet.
• Do not pass if oncoming traffic is near, and do not cut in or brake hard after passing.
• Do not honk as you approach; it can make a rider swerve.
• Turning left, yield to oncoming cyclists. Turning right, check for cyclists going straight beside or behind you.
• Before opening a door, check behind you. The Dutch Reach, opening the driver's door with your right hand, turns your head toward the traffic.
• Riders 15 and under must wear a helmet, and children may behave unpredictably near roads.

Trucks, emergency vehicles and horses

Trucks cannot see you right in front, along either side or behind. A trailer's rear blind spot can be over 50 feet long. If you cannot see the driver in their side mirror, they cannot see you. Do not linger beside a truck, and leave room for its wide turns.

For an emergency vehicle with lights or siren, pull right and stop until it passes, then check for a second one before moving off. Near a horse, slow down and do not sound your horn.

Railroad crossings

1. Watch for the round yellow warning sign and RR pavement marking.
2. When lights flash or gates come down, stop. Never drive around lowered gates.
3. Expect buses and hazardous-material trucks ahead of you to stop at every crossing.
4. If you stall on the tracks with a train coming, get everyone out and move well away from the tracks, toward the direction the train is coming from, so debris is not thrown toward you.

Common mistakes

• Passing a cyclist with only a foot of space because the lane looks wide enough.
• Flinging the driver's door open without checking mirrors.
• Sitting alongside a truck on the highway.
• Assuming tracks that look unused have no trains.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in Rhode Island

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

Go deeper

• Rhode Island Road Test
• Learning to Drive in Rhode Island
• Rhode Island Driver’s Ed