Sharing the road in Vermont

By the end of this topic you can

• You can yield correctly to pedestrians, including blind pedestrians.
• You can pass bicyclists and motorcyclists safely.
• You can avoid the blind spots of large trucks.
• You can stop correctly at a railroad crossing.
• You can approach farm vehicles, horses and wildlife safely.

What you need to know and understand

• Drivers must yield to pedestrians even when they cross carelessly.
• Never pass a vehicle that has stopped for a pedestrian, even on a two-lane road.
• Stop and yield for a pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog.
• Leave at least 4 feet when passing a bicyclist. Bicyclists may ride two abreast and may take the lane when needed.
• Keep at least a 4-second gap behind a motorcycle, and more in poor conditions.
• Stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail when lights flash, gates are down, a train is coming or there is a stop sign.
• Never drive around a lowered railroad gate or pass another vehicle at a crossing.
• Leave at least 4 seconds behind a horse and rider or a horse-drawn vehicle, and do not honk.

People on foot and on bikes

Slow down where pedestrians are likely, keep crosswalks clear, and watch for children, especially when backing out of driveways.

Bicyclists have the same rights and duties as drivers on all roads except where barred, such as interstates. Give them at least 4 feet, wait behind them on narrow roads until it is safe, and do not honk unless needed. The four classic driver errors are turning left across an oncoming cyclist, turning right across a cyclist going straight, pulling out without checking, and opening a door into a cyclist's path.

Motorcycles and large trucks

• Motorcycles look farther away and slower than they are. Assume one is closer than it looks.
• Riders often slow without brake lights, and their signals may not cancel. Wait to see what they actually do.
• A motorcycle is entitled to a full lane. Change lanes completely to pass.
• Trucks have large No-Zones at the front, back and sides. If you cannot see the truck's mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
• Pass trucks steadily and return only when you see the cab in your inside mirror.
• Never squeeze between a right-turning truck and the curb, and never go around a truck that is backing up.

Rural Vermont: farm vehicles, animals and wildlife

Farm equipment can be wider than the road and may turn wide into unmarked fields. Hang back so the operator can see you, and pass only when it is safe with no oncoming traffic. Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles have the rights of drivers: slow down, do not rev or honk, and use the whole lane to pass.

Deer and moose are most active in the evening, at night and early in the morning. Deer often come in pairs. Moose are tall and dark, and their eyes may not reflect your headlights, which makes them very hard to see.

Railroad crossings step by step

1. Slow down on approach and look and listen both ways.
2. If lights flash, gates are down, a flagger signals, you see or hear a train, or there is a stop sign, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail.
3. Cross only when it is safe, without passing other vehicles.
4. Report any dangerous condition using the number on the crossing's emergency sign.

Common mistakes

• Passing a car that has stopped at a crosswalk. A pedestrian may be hidden in front of it.
• Squeezing past a cyclist with less than 4 feet of room on a narrow road.
• Pulling out in front of a motorcycle because it looked far away.
• Driving too fast on back roads at dusk in moose and deer areas.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in Vermont

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

Go deeper

• Vermont Road Test
• Learning to Drive in Vermont
• Vermont Driver’s Ed and the 40-Hour Practice Certification