Sharing the Road

Study questions with answers

12 sample Sharing the Road questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. When you approach and pass a bicyclist, you should:

   Correct answer: Slow down and allow plenty of room

   Slow down and give the bicyclist as much space as possible, considering the cyclist's speed as you pass.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Bicyclists / Passing

2. 2. When passing a large tractor-trailer, you can create a safer buffer against wind blast by:

   Correct answer: Shifting to the outside of your lane away from it

   Move to the outside portion of your lane, away from the tractor-trailer, to leave a little extra space as it passes.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Space to the Side

3. 3. When you meet a large truck coming from the opposite direction on a two-lane road, you should:

   Correct answer: Keep well to the right of your lane

   Keep as far right as safely possible to avoid a sideswipe and to lessen the wind turbulence between the two vehicles.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Interacting with Commercial Vehicles

4. 4. You should sound your horn near a bicyclist:

   Correct answer: Only when a collision might otherwise occur

   Avoid honking close to bicyclists unless a collision is possible, because a sudden horn can startle a rider into your path.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Bicyclists

5. 5. The blind spot directly behind a large truck can extend up to about:

   Correct answer: 200 feet

   A large vehicle's rear no zone can reach roughly 200 feet; if you are that close, the driver cannot see you and you cannot see ahead.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Rear No Zones

6. 6. The blind-spot areas around a large truck or bus where your vehicle disappears are called the:

   Correct answer: No zones

   These blind spots on the sides, front, and rear of large commercial vehicles are known as no zones.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Interacting with Commercial Vehicles, The No Zone

7. 7. The recommended minimum following distance behind a motorcycle is:

   Correct answer: Four seconds

   Keep at least a four-second following distance behind a motorcycle, and more in wet weather, since riders may change speed or position suddenly.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Motorcyclists

8. 8. A truck or bus preparing to turn right sometimes first swings wide to the left. You should:

   Correct answer: Wait until the vehicle completes its turn

   Never try to squeeze between a turning truck and the curb; wait until the large vehicle has finished its turn.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Interacting with Commercial Vehicles, Turning

9. 9. When sharing the road with a motorcyclist, you should:

   Correct answer: Allow the motorcyclist a full lane

   Give a motorcyclist a full lane width; the rider needs the whole lane to react to traffic and road hazards.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Motorcyclists

10. 10. Compared with a car, a loaded truck traveling at highway speed needs stopping distance that is:

    Correct answer: Much greater than a car's

    A loaded truck at 55 mph needs about 335 feet to stop, more than one and a half times the distance a car requires.

    Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Front No Zones

11. 11. On the roadway, a bicyclist has:

    Correct answer: The same rights and responsibilities as a driver

    Bicycles are treated as vehicles on the road, so a bicyclist has the same rights and duties as a driver.

    Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Bicyclists

12. 12. When you share a rural road with an animal-drawn vehicle, you should not:

    Correct answer: Sound your horn or rev your engine

    Do not honk or rev your engine near animal-drawn vehicles, since the noise may frighten the animal and cause a collision.

    Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Slow-Moving Vehicles