Sharing the Road Safely — Tennessee Driver's License Practice Test

Sharing the road means looking out for everyone who isn't wrapped in a steel cage — people on foot, on bikes, on motorcycles — as well as the big vehicles that need extra room. The law asks drivers to use great care and extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians, no matter who technically has the right-of-way.

Pedestrians generally have the right-of-way at intersections, and there's a crosswalk at every corner even when it isn't painted; always yield to someone using a white cane or guide dog. Bicyclists have most of the same rights as drivers — when you pass one, Tennessee law requires you to leave at least 3 feet. Motorcycles are entitled to the full lane and are easy to miss, so check your blind spots and allow extra following room; many car-motorcycle and car-bicycle crashes happen when a driver turns across their path.

Big vehicles need patience. Trucks and buses have large blind spots — if you can't see the driver's mirror, they can't see you — and they swing wide for right turns and need much longer to stop. Around school buses, remember children are at greatest risk getting on and off, so give them plenty of space. And always yield to trains: they can't stop quickly, so never drive around a lowered gate or onto tracks you can't fully clear.