Sharing the Road — Michigan Driver License Practice Test

This chapter covers how to safely share Michigan roads with commercial vehicles, slow-moving vehicles, pedestrians, and motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and bicycles. Commercial trucks have large blind spots ("no zones") where drivers can't see you, need far more distance to stop (roughly three times a passenger car's stopping distance at the same speed), and swing wide to make right turns, so give them extra room and never linger beside or behind them.

The most-tested material is the specific safety distances and legal definitions: Michigan law requires at least 3 feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist, a moped is legally defined by engine size (100cc or less) and top speed (30 mph or less) with no gear-shifting, and drivers must always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, including stopping for anyone using a white cane or guide dog.

A common mistake is assuming motorcyclists, scooter riders, and bicyclists are easy to judge in traffic — their smaller profile makes speed and distance harder to estimate, especially at intersections and during left turns, so always double-check blind spots before changing lanes and never pass a motorcyclist within the same lane.