1. Sharing the Road
Chapter 13

2. 13-1 Pedestrians
A pedestrian is a person who uses or crosses the roadway on foot or by means of a self propelled device other than a bicycle
Running, walking, jogging, skating, wheelchairs, crutches
Encounter on city streets, school areas, shopping areas, & residential areas

3. Driver Responsibilities to Pedestrians
Drivers must give right-of-way to any pedestrian crossing the street at an intersection, using a crosswalk, or using the sidewalk when crossing an entrance to a driveway or alley
Must give right-of-way to blind people
Give right-of-way to any pedestrian since you are protected and they are not
Most vehicle/pedestrian collisions happen at intersections
Either the pedestrian crosses illegally or drivers running red lights
Vision is blocked behind bigger vehicles
Pedestrians step in front of vehicles – not paying attention
What you can do:
Stop at the stop line or crosswalk
If none, pretend

4. Pedestrian Responsibilities to Driver
Pedestrians have a much better view of the road than drivers, fewer distractions, and can stop or change direction quicker than a vehicle
Use common sense and remember you are vulnerable
Wait for gaps in cross traffic – do not assume they are going to stop for you
The more time the driver has to see you, the better prepared they will be to slow down
Less distance to cover

5. Jaywalking
Crossing the street without regard for traffic rules or signals
Most dangerous form – crossing at a place other than an intersection or crosswalk
Laws prohibit jaywalking
Things to indicate someone may jaywalk:
Long blocks
Bad weather
People being late
Unsupervised children
The more people around, the higher the risk

6. 13-2 Bicycles
Commonly found in residential areas, in certain business districts, school areas, scenic roads, park areas
Used for both recreation and transportation for all ages – don’t need a license
Bicyclists are vulnerable because they ride next to vehicles
Pay extra attention to them and aid in their safety

7. Driver Responsibilities to Bicyclists
Expect sudden moves
hazards can force bicyclists to swerve suddenly
In residential areas, bicyclists will ride in the middle of the street and disregard signs
Be alert for children
Don’t pass if the street is too narrow for you to pass safely
Create a wide space when passing, especially at high speeds
Use your horn if needed
Always check blind spots when turning or changing lanes

8. Bicyclist Responsibilities to Drivers
Must signal all turns with hand signals, stop at all intersections, ride on the right-hand side of the street or in a designated lane instead of the sidewalk
Wear proper safety equipment
Make sure your bike is working properly
Avoid:
Driving against the flow of traffic
Going too fast for hills
Ignoring signs and signals
Riding in the middle of the street
Disregarding right-of-way
Can be ticketed for all of these – even as a rider

9. 13-3 Motorcycles Motorcycle Motorcyclists
Any two- or three- wheeled motor vehicle having a seat for riders and weighing less than 1500 pounds with at least a 15 horsepower engine
More powerful than automobiles
High speed and acceleration
More maneuverable
Motorcyclists
Directly exposed to the elements
Hearing is reduced
Rocks and dirt kicked up
Virtually no protection
One of the most dangerous forms of transportation

10. Driver Responsibilities to Motorcycles
Failure to spot motorcycles is the primary cause of crashes involving motorcycles
Smaller than vehicles
Train yourself to look for them while you drive
Double check your estimates
Easy to misjudge due to their small size
Motorcycles also can’t see you
Mirrors are small, so assume that the rider can’t see you
Riders need all the space within their lane to make moves if needed
Potholes don’t bother us as drivers, but can affect a rider tremendously
Increase your following distance and space cushion
When being passed, maintain your lane position
Let the motorcycle pass
When passing, be cautious, especially if there is a passenger
Any wrong move by the passenger can affect the motorcycle

11. Motorcyclists Responsibilities to Drivers
Keep your motorcycle in proper working condition
Wear proper safety equipment
Glasses or goggles, helmet, leather boots, abrasion resistant clothing, rain suit, bright clothing
Ride to the side of a lane, not in the middle
Left side of the lane is the best because if gives you the best view of traffic ahead
Makes you more visible to other drivers
Don’t follow too closely
The closer you are, the less time you have to react
Don’t ride in blind spots, weave in and out of traffic, “split lanes”-riding between lanes of slow or stopped traffic (legal in some places)
Slow down and reduce speed at intersections, driveways, parking spaces, and other dangerous spots for motorcycles

12. Mopeds & Motorized Cycles
Any two- or three- wheeled device with pedals that has an automatic transmission
A motor less than 2 horsepower
Cannot exceed 30 mph
Riders should ride them on the right side of the road
Avoid riding on higways

13. 13-4 Trucks & Buses
Commercial Trucks, often called “semis” are easy to see, but the most dangerous
Bigger vehicle –
slower acceleration
larger blind spot
more room needed to maneuver
longer it takes to stop
Driver of the car is almost always the one killed in a fatal crash involving both types of vehicles

14. “No Zones” Large blind spots of trucks are called “no zones”
In addition to blind spots on either side of the cab, there is a 200 feet deep blind spot behind the truck
Driver can’t see you, you can’t see them
There is another blind spot 20 feet in front of the bumper
Cars could move into this area and be completely unnoticed by the driver

15. Driving Behind Trucks Increase your following distance
Rule – if you can see their side mirrors, they can see you
Compensate for the trucks loss of speed when going uphill
Allow more room for the truck to maneuver at a stop
Rocking backward before forward

16. Passing Trucks Know how long the truck is Type of terrain
Upgrade, downgrade
Don’t cut right back in front of the truck you are passing
Wait until you can see the cab of the truck in your rearview mirror before pulling back
Compensate for the “wind effect”
Try not to pass 2 trucks at one time

17. Oncoming Trucks Merging Trucks
Trucks need extra time to adjust to high speed traffic
Slow down and move to another lane to allow the truck to safely enter the roadway
Biggest cause for collisions is the inability of motorists to accurately determine the speed of approaching vehicles before making a left turn
When in doubt, wait!
Large trucks use air brakes
Take longer to stop than hydraulic brakes
If you guess wrong when passing, the truck can’t stop
Takes more than 100 yards to stop for an average truck going 55 mph

18. Off-Tracking Occurs when a truck driver swings wide on a turn
Greater on right turns than left because the turns are sharper and the turn radius of the rear of the truck is less
If you are approaching an intersection and see a truck wanting to make a turn:
Reduce your speed
Stay far enough back from the intersection so that the truck can maneuver efficiently
If you are already at the intersection and there is enough room to back up, do it

19. Commercial Buses Buses present many of the same problems as trucks
Long, heavy, and difficult to maneuver or stop
Large blind spots
Can have a deceptively fast approach
Take a long time to pass
Go slower uphill and faster downhill
Make wide turns
Produce wind effect at high speeds
The unique danger – buses make frequent stops to drop off or pick up passengers
When following:
Increase your following distance
Improves visibility and reaction time
If the bus is stopped, use caution
Blocking view of cross traffic
Pedestrians getting on or off
Do not pass a bus on the right

20. School Buses Children are unaware of traffic rules and safety
Less predictable
When a bus is stopped and has the stop sign arm extended you must come to a complete stop
Unless you are on the opposite side of a divided roadway
Resume driving only once the bus begins moving
Give bus extra space cushioning, especially when passing
Drivers can be distracted