Maine · Handbook chapter 9 · 5 min read

Chapter 9: Sharing the road

Maine rules for pedestrians, the blind, bicyclists (the 3-foot passing law, Dutch reach, helmets), motorcycles and mopeds, trucks and buses and their No-Zones, emergency vehicles, police stops, the Move Over law, slow-moving vehicles and horses.

Why this chapter matters

Pedestrian and bicycle safety is a named topic on the Maine written test. You also need to know how much room trucks and motorcycles need and what to do for emergency vehicles. Key figures: 3 feet, under 16, 200 feet, 500 feet, 25 mph.

Pedestrians

• Yield to anyone crossing in a marked crosswalk, and take care to avoid pedestrians even when they are not in one.
• Yield to pedestrians even when your light is green, and when turning right on red.
• Never pass a vehicle that is stopped or slowing for someone in a crosswalk.
• When crossing a sidewalk from a driveway or alley, yield to pedestrians and bicyclists on it.
• A pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog always has the right of way: come to a complete stop.
• Slow near playgrounds and in neighborhoods; children dart out between parked cars.
• Obey school crossing guards and lower school-zone limits.

Bicyclists

Bicycles are vehicles. Riders have the same rights and duties as drivers and must ride with traffic. They are less visible, quieter and unprotected.

• Leave at least 3 feet between the right side of your vehicle and a bicyclist when you pass, and slow down, especially on narrow roads.
• Yield to bicyclists at intersections and where a bike lane or path crosses the road. Do not stop, park or drive in a bike lane except to enter or leave a driveway or alley.
• Do not turn right across a cyclist unless it is safe; let them clear the intersection first.
• A cyclist may ride toward the center of the lane when it is too narrow to share, or to turn left.
• Do not honk close to a cyclist unless a crash is likely; it can startle them.
• Before opening your door, check for bikes. Maine recommends the Dutch reach: open the driver's door with your right hand, which turns your body so you look back over your shoulder.
• Riders under 16 must wear a helmet. At night a bicycle needs a white front light visible from 200 feet and a red or amber rear light or reflector visible from 200 feet.

Motorcycles and mopeds

Give a motorcycle a full lane; never share it. Motorcycles are small and hard to see, so check mirrors and blind spots. Their turn signals may not cancel by themselves, so do not assume a rider is turning. Many crashes happen when drivers turn left in front of an oncoming motorcycle; wait for it to pass. Leave extra following distance, especially when it is wet. Mopeds and scooters travel much slower than motorcycles.

Trucks and buses

Large vehicles need more room to speed up, stop and turn, and they speed up downhill and slow uphill.

• No-Zones are their blind spots at the sides, front and rear. The largest is on the right side. If you cannot see the driver's face in the side mirror, the driver cannot see you.
• Do not cut in front of a truck; it needs far longer to stop than a car. After passing, wait until you see its whole front in your mirror before moving back.
• Do not follow closely behind; if you cannot see its mirrors, it cannot see you.
• Trucks often swing left before a right turn. Do not squeeze into the gap on their right.
• Never pass behind a truck that is backing up.
• When a truck passes or approaches, keep to the right side of your lane; dim your high beams when following one at night.

Emergency vehicles and police stops

When an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren, pull to the right edge of the road, clear of any intersection, and stop until it passes. It is unlawful to follow within 500 feet of a fire truck answering an alarm.

Under Maine's Move Over law, when you come up on an emergency vehicle stopped on the roadside, slow down and move over a lane if you can; if not, slow down and pass with care.

If police stop you: pull to the right in a safe place, stay in the car, turn off the engine, turn on your flashers (and the inside light at night), keep your belt on and your hands on the wheel, and reach for documents slowly.

Slow vehicles and animals

An orange triangle with a red border means a vehicle moving under 25 mph, such as farm machinery. Horses and horse-drawn vehicles have the same right to the road. Pass them slowly and widely, and never honk or rev your engine near them; frightening a ridden or driven animal on purpose is against the law.