Chapter 6: Road Sharing

Principles of Road Sharing

Sharing the road requires understanding and respecting all road users. This includes pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, cars, large vehicles, school buses, public transit buses, emergency vehicles, and even animals.

Implementing the See-Think-Do Strategy

The See-Think-Do strategy is a three-step process that promotes safe driving:

• See: Actively scan your environment and spot potential hazards.
• Think: Assess the situation and determine the most appropriate action.
• Do: Carry out your decision in a safe and effective manner.

Guidelines for Road Sharing

Understanding the behavior of different road users and knowing how to interact with them safely is crucial for sharing the road. Here are some guidelines for sharing the road with various types of road users:

• Pedestrians:
• Watch for pedestrians who can be unpredictable and hard to see, especially at night.
• Scan at crosswalks and intersections and do not pass stopped vehicles at crosswalks.
• Observe carefully in school zones and playgrounds, watching for school patrols or crossing supervisors.
• Drive carefully in residential areas, being alert for signs of children playing.
• Be extra cautious when backing up, doing a 360-degree vision check before moving.
• Watch for pedestrians with disabilities and give the right-of-way if they raise their cane.
• Yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks, intersections, when turning, and when entering a road from a driveway or alley.
• Slow down and give pedestrians plenty of room.
• Ensure vehicles have stopped before leaving the curb, watch for turning vehicles, hold a child’s hand while crossing, use crosswalks, and activate pedestrian crossing signals when available.
• Cyclists:
• Cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers on the road.
• Be especially careful near children on bicycles, as they may be unaware of danger and have poor peripheral vision.
• Shoulder check before opening your door, pulling away from the curb, or moving to the right to avoid collisions with cyclists.
• Pay extra attention at night, as some cyclists may not have lights or reflective gear.
• Be cautious when passing, ensuring there are no cyclists in your path or ahead of the vehicle you're passing.
• Scan at intersections for cyclists before turning right, going straight, or making a left turn.
• Yield to cyclists as you would to any other vehicle, following the rules of the road.
• Allow plenty of following distance and space margins to avoid collisions, especially with inexperienced cyclists.
• Understand and recognize hand signals used by cyclists for turning and stopping.
• Make eye contact with cyclists to communicate and avoid startling them with your horn unless necessary.
• Motorcycle Riders:
• Motorcycle riders are vulnerable road users without the protection of an external frame, airbags, or bumpers.
• Watch for clues like shoulder checks or leaning, which indicate a rider's intention to change lanes or turn.
• Scan at intersections, looking carefully for motorcycles, especially when turning left or driving through an intersection.
• Never try to share a lane with a motorcycle; they need the whole lane to travel safely.
• Allow at least three seconds of following distance behind a motorcycle to stop safely if needed.
• Leave plenty of space when passing a motorcycle to avoid throwing dirt or water in the rider’s face.
• Establish eye contact whenever possible to improve communication.
• Understand that motorcyclists may ride in the left part of the lane to be more visible, not necessarily to turn left.
• Passenger Vehicles: Keep a safe distance when following other passenger vehicles and be aware of blind spots.
• Large Vehicles: Recognize that large vehicles have bigger blind spots and require more space to stop and maneuver.
• School Buses:
• Always stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off children.
• Look for flashing lights and a stop sign on a school bus to know it is stopping to let children off.
• School buses may use flashing amber lights when getting ready to stop.
• You must stop when a school bus has flashing red lights, no matter which direction you are coming from.
• All cars in all lanes must stop when the bus has its flashing red lights on.
• Public Transit Buses: Yield to public transit buses to allow them to merge safely into traffic.
• Emergency Vehicles:
• Listen for sirens and watch for flashing lights to locate approaching emergency vehicles.
• Emergency vehicles with flashing lights and sirens always have the right-of-way, and all traffic in both directions must stop.
• Do not block the path of emergency vehicles; pull over to the right and stop, or to the left if on a divided highway or one-way street. Avoid stopping in intersections.
• Stay back at least 150 meters when following a fire truck.
• Use your turn signal to indicate that you have seen the emergency vehicle and are pulling over.
• Stopped Vehicles with Flashing Lights:
• Drivers must slow down and leave plenty of room when passing stopped vehicles with flashing lights.
• Slow down to 70 km/h if the speed limit is 80 km/h or more, and to 40 km/h if the speed limit is less than 80 km/h when approaching stopped vehicles with flashing lights.
• Change lanes to provide safe space margins when it is safe to do so.
• Construction Zones:
• Pay extra attention and drive slowly through construction zones, especially at night.
• Be alert for traffic control persons, construction workers, and equipment, even if you don't see them immediately.
• Obey the directions of traffic control persons and road construction signs throughout the entire construction zone.
• Follow construction zone speed limits 24/7 when posted, and remember that fines are doubled in these zones.
• Slow down for uneven or unpaved road surfaces in construction zones.
• Stop when directed by traffic control persons or devices, and follow pilot cars through work zones if needed.
• Maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead and avoid changing lanes in construction zones.
• Leave space between your vehicle, construction crews, and their equipment.
• Trains:
• Trains need about two kilometers to stop, so never try to beat one at a crossing.
• Look for advance warning signs, pavement markings, flashing lights, bells, and gates that indicate an approaching railway crossing.
• Be aware that poor visibility might hide an approaching train, but you may still hear its whistle.
• Trains always have the right of way and do not slow down for crossings.
• If a gate is down or red lights are flashing, you must stop and wait until it is safe to cross.
• If your vehicle gets stuck on the tracks, evacuate all passengers and move at least 30 meters away from the tracks.