Sharing the Road
Maintaining Distance, Move Over Laws, and No Zones
Maintaining a safe distance from the bike and understanding the consequences of not doing so.
Understanding and adhering to move over laws.
Recognizing and avoiding no zones around large vehicles.
Sharing the Roadway
Sharing the roadway with pedestrians and yielding to them, as they have no protection.
Watching for crosswalks and respecting bike lines and lanes.
Exercising caution in parking lots due to distracted drivers.
Avoiding distractions, primarily phones, but also other potential distractions.
Having respect and patience while driving.
Pedestrians and Right-of-Way
Yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks when traffic signals are not present.
Adjusting to pedestrian behavior, whether they follow rules or not.
Drivers must yield even if the pedestrian is in the wrong.
Considering Pedestrian Characteristics
Considering age and physical condition of pedestrians.
Elderly pedestrians may be slower and less stable.
Young children may not understand traffic laws or driver actions.
Parents may overestimate their children's street-crossing abilities.
Research shows it takes at least 15 repetitions for a child to learn something.
Watching for seniors or people in wheelchairs, as they take longer to cross.
Stopping for pedestrians with white canes or guide dogs.
Avoiding long sounds on the horn to prevent startling pedestrians; use short taps if necessary.
Parking Lots and Pedestrians
People often don't pay attention in parking lots, so be cautious.
Following the rules in parking lots, even if others don't.
Pedestrians are harder to see due to their size.
Be aware that pedestrians may be distracted.
Paying extra attention in crosswalks, parking lots, school zones, residential areas, and shopping centers.
Any time a driver hits a pedestrian, it's the driver's fault.
Children Playing in the Road
Being cautious when children are playing in the road, as their motor skills and coordination are limited.
Children may lose control of balls or other toys and run into the street.
Residential areas with parked cars require extra attention.
Driver's Responsibility to Yield
Yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks, driveways, alleyways, when getting in or out of a parked car, in parking lots, and in jogging areas.
Checking for pedestrians before passing any stopped vehicles.
Giving pedestrians the right of way even when they are crossing on a red signal.
Expecting pedestrians anytime and anywhere.
Recognizing that pedestrians are hard to see, especially in bad weather or at night.
Pedestrian Responsibilities
Using crosswalks and designated intersections.
Looking left, right, and left again for traffic.
Stopping at the curb to signal intent to cross.
Obeying traffic signals.
Walking on sidewalks when available; if not, walking on the edge of the road facing traffic.
Parents need to watch children; small children should not cross streets alone.
Avoiding drinking and walking due to impaired judgment and motor skills.
Having a plan for safe transportation when consuming alcohol, such as a designated driver or ride service.
Unintended Pedestrians
Being aware of people who are not expecting to be pedestrians, such as those involved in car accidents or with flat tires.
Approximately 610 pedestrians are killed on US interstate highways each year in unintended pedestrian situations.
Close to one-third of crashes surveyed involve unintended pedestrians.
When an unintended pedestrian, avoid standing in front of or near the side of the vehicle.
Stand behind the vehicle at a 45-degree angle from the car, facing traffic.
Always walk towards traffic to make eye contact with drivers.
Turn on hazard lights to alert other drivers.
Secure the scene with flares and reflective triangles or cones.
As a driver, be searching ahead for pedestrians and broken-down vehicles.
Reduce speed and move as far to the other side as possible when spotting a broken-down vehicle.
Pedestrian Visibility and Safety
75% of interstate pedestrian fatalities occur after dark; 50% occur in unlighted conditions.
Using triangles or cones to alert other drivers to a problem.
Seeing and being seen is crucial for pedestrian safety.
Staying out of drivers' blind spots and making eye contact.
Wearing bright colors and reflective clothing.
Using a cell phone flashlight when walking at night.
Watching for vehicles entering and exiting driveways.
Walking facing traffic and searching in all directions.
Drivers have little chance of seeing pedestrians walking at night without reflective lights.
Smartphone Zombies
Putting away phones and paying attention to surroundings.
Some cities have banned smartphone use while walking, with fines for violations.
Reducing risk by never walking and talking or texting on the phone while walking.
If texting, moving out of the way of other people and stopping on the sidewalk.
Never crossing the street while using an electronic device.
Noise-Canceling Earphones
Being aware that noise-canceling earphones can tune out important sounds like car horns and sirens.
Avoiding wearing headphones in both ears while walking.
It's illegal to drive with earphones in, even with one out.
Animals on the Road
Knowing how to react and not panic when encountering animals on the road.
Being aware that wildlife collisions occur during fall and winter.
Wearing a seat belt, remaining sober, awake, and alert.
Being cautious at dusk and dawn, as deer are most active between 6 and 9 PM.
Not relying on hood whistles or other devices to scare away deer.
Looking for the reflection of animals' eyes in the distance.
Asking passengers to help look for wildlife.
Using high beams at night when no other cars are around.
Choosing roads with multiple lanes and good lighting.
Scanning the road and shoulders for possible hazards, especially animals.
Remembering that animals like deer move in groups.
Staying in control and not panicking if a collision is unavoidable.
Doing all you can to lessen the impact by pressing on the brakes firmly and then letting off.
Leaning toward the door, not toward the center of the car, if hitting an animal head-on.
Pulling off the roadway and calling the police immediately.
Turning on hazard lights to warn other drivers.
Never touching the animal.
Getting a police report for insurance purposes.
Comprehensive car insurance covers an animal strike.
Obstacle Detection Technology
Knowing that obstacle detection technology can sense slow-moving or stationary objects.
Realizing that it's still the driver's responsibility to be aware of hazards and react accordingly.
Sharing the Road with Motorcycles
Motorcycle drivers are 26x more likely to die in a crash than someone in a passenger car.
Being aware that motorcyclists are exposed to dangers that other motorists do not face.
Understanding as much as possible about motorcycles, their drivers, and how they act and react differently.
Younger riders (16 to 26) have the highest crash and fatality rates.
Safety gear such as helmets, full-face masks, gloves, riding pants, riding boots, and leather jackets should be considered.
Groups of bikes often ride in a zigzag formation for lane protection, visibility, and an escape path.
Increasing your space cushion immediately is the best thing to do.
Distance yourself from potential hazards.
Carrying a passenger complicates the motorcyclist's task.
Motorcycle Safety Tips
Headlights on improves visibility.
Sharing the road, not the lane; motorcycles need room to maneuver safely.
Increasing following distance for flashing turn signals; wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn.
A minor annoyance to a car could be a major hazard to a motorcyclist.
Motorcycles react differently; in dry conditions, they can stop faster than cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping difficult.
Maintaining a four-second space cushion when following a motorcyclist (ideally eight).
Looking in all directions during left turns, as a motorcycle may look farther away than it is.
Treating intersections with extra care; following the safety protocol for intersections.
Checking blind spots, as motorcycles are easily hidden.
Passing with care; always using turn signal before changing lanes and merging.
Allowing motorcyclists to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.
Being aware of weather conditions; inclement weather has more drastic effects on motorcyclists.
Helping riders stay safe at night; increasing following distance, turning off high beams, and refraining from passing.
Sharing the Road with Bicycles, Mopeds, and Scooters
Understanding the laws pertaining to cyclists and the risks they can present.
Considering age when spotting cyclists on the roadway.
Ohio does not have an age limit for riding bicycles on a roadway.
Older riders might take longer to maneuver on the roadway.
All riders have to follow the rules of the road or at least they're supposed to.
Drivers need to stay alert and increase their space and be prepared for the unexpected.
Hazards Cyclists Face
Being aware of that cyclists may change speed or direction suddenly in reaction to road conditions like potholes, and whatever.
Sharing the road by Drivers must respect the fact that bicycles are vehicles under Ohio Law.
Bike specific laws: You must ride as near to the right side of the road as possible, But the word practicable isn't not defined and a cyclist does not have to ride along the right side of the lane when it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so.
Bicyclists Are permitted to ride to abreast same lane.
Drivers can cross a double yellow line to safely pass a bicyclist if the bicyclist is traveling at less than the posted speed limit, the other lane is clear ongoing traffic , the driver can pass a bicyclist without exceeding the posted speed limit, if there is sufficient sight distance ahead to permit the passing maneuver to safely be accomplished.
Drivers required to give cyclist 3 feet of Clarence when passing. This law did not become a law until 02/2017.
Use hand signals.
Cyclist are not required to use the bike lane.
Mopeds an Motorized bikes
Registered with BMV required.
Equipped with rearview mirror Required.
Must stay with 3 feet from of the edge of the road.
Can not carry passages.
Helmets required under the age of 18.
Sharing the Road with Semi Trucks and Larger Vehicles
They can way from 10,000 to 80,000 pounds.
Being Aware that a commercial truck like an 18 wheeler weighs about 25 times more than the average automobile.
Look at no zone or blind spots around the truck and refrain driving in their no zones.
Semi's need 5 lanes complete Basic right turn.
Trucks need time to speed up when merging on to a Free-way.
Liquids in the back can cause crashing or sloshing.
Emergency vehicle and you must move over
Move Over Law
If you're on a regular road, not a highway, you're gonna move over to the right and stop, let the emergency vehicle go around. If you are in an intersection, you're just gonna stop and sit still and let them go around you wherever they need to go. If you're on a highway and an emergency vehicle comes, then you want to move over one lane, slow down, but keep driving. Don't stop.
Police, fire, and EMS, you probably know, tow trucks, any emergency vehicle with, flashing lights, road service trucks, trash trucks, highway maintenance trucks, public utility vehicles with their warning lights activated.