Wisconsin · Handbook chapter 9 · 4 min read

Chapter 9: Sharing the road

Sharing Wisconsin roads with pedestrians, emergency vehicles, school buses, motorcycles, bicycles and large trucks: the move over law, the 20-foot school bus rule, the three-foot passing rule for bicycles and truck No-Zones.

Why this chapter matters

The more space you keep from other road users, the more time you have to react. School bus and emergency vehicle rules are on almost every permit test, and Wisconsin's exact distances (20 feet, three feet, 200 feet) are easy marks if you learn them.

Space on busy roads

• Avoid driving right beside other vehicles on multi-lane roads: move ahead or drop back.
• Give extra room to parked vehicles at the side of the road.
• Stay out of other drivers' blind spots.

Pedestrians

Children and others may run into the road without looking, so stay alert and give extra room to pedestrians and to drivers who seem confused or cannot see you. Driving on a sidewalk is illegal except to cross it, for example at a driveway. Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and stop at least 10 feet from a person using a white cane or guide dog until they are off the road.

Emergency vehicles

• When an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren, pull over to the side of the road and stop until it has passed.
• Do not stop in the middle of an intersection; clear it first.
• When you approach an emergency vehicle stopped with its lights flashing, move into a lane not next to it and stay there until you are past. If you cannot move over, slow down. It is the law.

School buses

• When a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing, stop at least 20 feet from it.
• This applies whether the bus is on your side of the road or the opposite side.
• Watch for children, and go only when the red lights stop flashing.
• Exception: on a divided highway (with a physical barrier between directions), traffic on the other side from the bus does not need to stop.

Motorcycles

Motorcycles are light and can stop faster than most vehicles, so give them a longer following distance. They are easy to miss: check your blind spots before moving, and wait until it is safe before passing.

Bicycles

• Bicyclists may use the whole traffic lane. Do not share a lane with one; they can move into your path suddenly.
• Before passing, wait for oncoming traffic to clear.
• Leave at least three feet between your vehicle and the bicyclist when you pass.
• Bicycles should have reflectors or lights, but some do not, so be watchful, especially at night.
• Know the bicycle hand signals for left turn, right turn and stop.

Large trucks and the No-Zones

Big trucks have large blind spots called No-Zones: about 200 feet behind and 20 feet in front of the truck, plus areas along each side. A truck driver cannot see a car close behind or right in front.

• Speed up or drop back so the driver can see you.
• If you pass, get out of the blind spot quickly.
• Leave extra following distance behind trucks and buses, and extra room when they turn: they may swing wide or across the center line.