North Carolina · Handbook chapter 10 · 5 min read

Chapter 10: Sharing the road, insurance and registration

Bicycles, pedestrians, trucks and their No-Zones, RVs and trailers, motorcycles and mopeds, littering fines, North Carolina's minimum liability insurance, vehicle registration and inspection, and driver records.

Why this chapter matters

Cars share North Carolina's roads with bicycles, walkers, tractor-trailers, motorcycles and mopeds, each with its own risks. This chapter also covers the paperwork every vehicle owner needs: insurance, registration and inspection.

Bicycles

• A bicycle is a vehicle. Riders must obey traffic laws, including DWI laws, ride on the right with traffic, stop for STOP signs and red lights, and give hand signals.
• Bicyclists may ride in a bike lane, on a paved shoulder or in the full travel lane. Expect them on all roads except where they are expressly banned.
• Pass a bicyclist only with plenty of room and no oncoming traffic. The safest way is to change lanes.
• Watch for the right hook (turning right across a rider going straight), the left cross and drivers pulling out in front of riders.
• At night a bicycle needs a front light visible for 300 feet and a red rear light or reflector visible for 200 feet.
• Riders and passengers under 16 must wear an approved helmet. A passenger under 40 pounds or 40 inches needs a bicycle child seat.

Pedestrians

• In cities about two of every five people killed in traffic crashes are pedestrians.
• Pedestrians should walk on the left, facing traffic, wear or carry something white, and use a flashlight at night.

Trucks and No-Zones

• Big trucks gain speed slowly, need extra room to turn because the rear wheels cut inside the front ones, and need more distance to stop going downhill.
• A truck's No-Zones are up to 20 feet in front of the cab, along both sides (especially beside the cab) and up to 200 feet behind.
• If you cannot see the truck driver in the truck's side mirror, the driver cannot see you.
• Before passing a tractor-trailer that seems to be starting a left turn, check which way the driver is signaling first.

RVs and trailers

RVs and trailers speed up and stop more slowly and have larger blind spots. Watch for sway, remember that hard braking can make a trailer jackknife, and allow as much as half a mile of clear road to pass one.

Motorcycles and mopeds

• Give motorcyclists the same right of way as any driver. A motorcycle is entitled to the full width of its lane, so pass it by changing lanes.
• Pass a moped at least two feet to the left.
• About two-thirds of motorcycle crashes in North Carolina involve a car, usually with the car driver at fault.
• Allow more following distance on slippery roads, and leave extra room at railroad crossings, rough roads and metal bridge surfaces.
• A moped has an engine of 50 cc or less, no external gear shift and a top speed of 30 mph. Riders must be at least 16, wear a helmet, carry a license or N.C. ID card, and register the moped ($29.50 a year plus some county taxes).

Littering

The driver is responsible for litter thrown or blown from the vehicle. The fine is $250 to $1,000, and $500 to $2,000 for a repeat offense within three years.

Liability insurance

Every registered vehicle must carry continuous liability insurance from a company licensed in North Carolina.

• North Carolina does not recognize a grace period.
• If insurance lapses, the vehicle's plate can be revoked for 30 days and the owner fined. Surrender the plate before cancelling insurance.

Registration and inspection

• You need a North Carolina driver license (or ID card, with some exceptions) before titling and registering a vehicle.
• Keep the registration card in the vehicle at all times. Plastic plate covers are not allowed.
• A safety (or safety and emissions) inspection is needed within 90 days before the registration expires. Registration renewal and vehicle property tax are paid together under Tag & Tax Together.
• A vehicle sale must be signed before a notary.
• Report a change of address or name within 60 days.

Driver records

You can order your driving record online or in person: $18 for a certified copy and $12.75 for a non-certified record.