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©2017 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Bike Lanes
Motorized vehicles are not allowed
to drive in bike lanes; they may
cross over them when turning at
intersections, but only when no
bicyclists are present in the bike
lane.
Red Reflectors
Red reflectors on lane lines always
mean you are facing traffic the
wrong way and could have a head-
on collision.
• If you see red reflectors facing
you on the lane lines, you are on
the wrong side of the road. Turn
around or get into the proper
lane immediately!
• If you see red reflectors on the
edge lines of the road, you are
going the wrong way on an
entrance or exit ramp. Pull over
immediately! Turn around when
it safe to do so.
Safe Following Distances
Rear-end collisions are almost
always caused by drivers following
too closely. Maintaining a large
enough following distance (the
space between you and the vehicle
in front of you) greatly helps you
to avoid a collision with the vehicle
in front of you. The more distance
between your vehicle and others, the
more time you have to react. Keep
a minimum following distance of
four seconds during normal weather
and traffic conditions. (Increase
following distance during unusual
weather or traffic conditions.)
Determine your following
distance:
1. Watch when the rear of the
vehicle ahead passes a stationary
marker such as a sign or light
pole.
2. Count the seconds it takes you
to reach the same marker: “One-
thousand-one, one-thousand-
two, one-thousand-three, one-
thousand-four.”
3. If you pass the stationary
marker before counting to one-
thousand-four, you are following
too closely.
4. Reduce speed and then count
again at another stationary
point. Repeat until you are
following no closer than four-
seconds.
Increase your following distance
in these situations:
• Rain or when roads are wet.
• Low visibility—dusk, dawn,
nighttime, fog, etc.
• When being passed (more space
in front of your vehicle so the
pass can be completed safely).
• Carrying a heavy load or pulling
a trailer. (The extra weight
makes it more difficult to stop
quickly/steer correctly.)
• When stopped behind another
vehicle on an incline; it may roll
back before moving forward.
• When following:
◆
Motorcycles. The chances of a
motorcyclist falling are greater
on wet or gravel roads, or
metal surfaces such as bridges.
The Official Florida Driver License Handbook—rev. 051417
33
.......................................................................................................................................DRIVING SAFELY
You will need extra stopping/
steering distance to avoid
hitting the bike/rider.
◆
Emergency vehicles. It is
against the law to follow a
fire truck responding to a fire
alarm closer than 500 feet.
◆
Vehicles required to come to a
stop at railroad crossings, such
as city buses, school buses, and
vehicles carrying hazardous
materials.
◆
Vehicles with a blocked rear
view. Drivers of trucks, buses,
vans, or vehicles pulling
trailers may not be able to see
your vehicle when you are
directly behind them.
If your vehicle is being followed too
closely, slow down and keep to the
right.
Following Distance for Trucks
A truck or any vehicle towing
another vehicle must not follow
within 300 feet of another truck
or vehicle towing a vehicle. This
law does not apply to overtaking
and passing, and it does not apply
within cities or towns.
Blind Spots
Blind spots are areas near the left
and right rear corners of your
vehicle that you can’t see in your
rear-view mirrors or with your
peripheral vision. Before you move
to change lanes on a highway or to
pass on any road, turn your head to
make sure these areas are clear.
Do not drive in someone else’s blind
spot. Move forward or drop back so
that the other driver can see you.
The larger the vehicle, the larger the
blind spots. Large trucks and SUVs
have blind spots close to the rear of
the vehicle that cannot be seen in
rear-view mirrors. (See “No Zones”
on page 44.)
Passing
1. Stay a safe distance behind the
vehicle you want to pass—the
closer you get, the less you can
see ahead.
2. Before you pull out to pass,
check your blind spots and
make sure that you have plenty
of time and room to pass.
3. Activate your signal before
moving into the left lane to
notify all other motorists that
you are about to change lanes to
pass.
4. Tap your horn (day) or flash
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©2017 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
your headlights (night) to let
the other driver know you are
passing.
5. Do not return to the right side
of the road until you can see the
tires of the vehicle you passed
in your rear-view mirror. Signal
when you are about to return to
your lane.
6. You must return to the right
side of the road before coming
within 200 feet of any vehicle
coming from the opposite
direction.
You should not attempt to pass
more than one vehicle at a time.
Passing multiple vehicles is
dangerous.
Stay within the speed limit. It is not
legal to exceed the speed limit while
passing.
Passing on the Right
Pulling off the roadway to pass on
the right is against the law. Passing
on the right is only legal when there
are two or more lanes of traffic
moving in the same direction or the
vehicle you are passing is making a
left turn.
You Must Not Pass...
• where there is a single solid
line, or double-sided solid line
dividing lanes;
• when the double-sided yellow
line is solid in your lane;
• in Do Not Pass and No Passing
zones;
• on hills or curves where you
can’t see at least 500 feet ahead;
• within 100 feet of a bridge,
viaduct, tunnel, railroad
crossing, or intersection;
• when a school bus is stopped
and has its warning flashers on
and stop sign extended;
• at crosswalks where a vehicle has
stopped to allow a pedestrian to
cross.
Being Passed
You must not increase your speed
while you are being passed,. Move
to the right side of your lane to give
passing drivers more room and a
better view of the road ahead.
Limited-Access Highways
Limited-access highways—also
called expressways, interstate
highways, turnpikes, toll roads,
freeways, and—are multiple-
lane roads with no stop signs,
traffic lights, or railroad crossings.
Pedestrians, hitchhikers, bicycles,
animal-drawn vehicles, and motor-
driven cycles/motor scooters (with
150 cubic centimeter displacement
or less) are not allowed on limited-
access highways.
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