South Carolina · Handbook chapter 10 · 4 min read

Chapter 10: Sharing the road and special situations

Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, trucks and the No Zone, emergency vehicles, traffic stops, the move-over law, slow-moving vehicles, night driving, work zones, rural roads, winter driving and towing a trailer.

Why this chapter matters

You share South Carolina roads with people who are easy to miss and vehicles that cannot stop quickly. Sections 10 and 11 of the manual cover how to drive around them and in harder conditions.

Pedestrians

• Yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk, marked or unmarked, and in intersections even on a green light.
• Come to a complete stop for a person with a white cane or guide dog.
• Be ready to yield even when people cross outside a crosswalk.
• Obey slower school zone limits when lights flash or children are present.

Bicyclists

• Bicycles are vehicles with the same rights and duties as drivers.
• Slow down and give as much room as possible when passing.
• Do not honk close to a cyclist unless a crash is likely; it can startle them into your path.
• Check for cyclists before you open your door or back up.

Motorcyclists

• Give a motorcycle a full lane: never share it.
• Keep at least 4 seconds behind a motorcycle, more when wet.
• A motorcycle signal may not cancel by itself: wait to be sure it is turning.

Trucks and buses

• The No Zone is the large blind area on the sides, front and rear. If you cannot see the driver's face in the truck's mirror, the driver cannot see you.
• A loaded truck at 55 mph needs at least 335 feet to stop. Do not cut in front.
• The rear blind spot can stretch 200 feet.
• A truck turning right may swing left first. Never squeeze between it and the curb.

Emergency vehicles and traffic stops

• For a vehicle with siren and flashing lights, pull to the edge of the road and let it pass.
• Move-over law: when passing a stopped emergency vehicle, slow down and move to a lane away from it if safe; otherwise slow down.
• If police stop you: signal and pull over, turn off the engine and radio, turn on hazard flashers, stay in the car with hands on the wheel, and turn on the interior light at night. In South Carolina you do not have to sign a ticket, and accepting it is not an admission of guilt.

Slow-moving vehicles

An orange and red triangle means the vehicle goes less than 25 mph. Pass farm machinery and horses with care, and do not honk or rev your engine near animals.

Night driving

• High beams let you see about twice as far. Dim them within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and within 200 feet when following.
• Use low beams in fog, rain or snow.
• If oncoming high beams blind you, look toward the right edge of the road.
• Do not wear sunglasses at night.

Work zones and rural roads

• Slow down in work zones even when no workers are present, and obey signs until End Road Work.
• On gravel or narrow roads, slow down and leave more space. At a one-lane bridge, the first driver to arrive generally goes first.
• At uncontrolled rural intersections, slow down and be ready to stop.

Winter and towing

• Bridges and overpasses freeze first. Avoid cruise control on snow or ice.
• Stuck in snow? Do not spin the wheels.
• Load a trailer about 60 percent in the front. The top recommended towing speed is 55 mph. If the trailer sways, steer straight and slow down gradually without braking.