Bicycles, motorcycles, trucks and light rail

Key points

1. You must allow at least 3 feet when passing a bicyclist going the same direction.

   Source: Handbook p. 50

   “Motorists are required to allow a minimum safe distance of 3 feet when passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 50

2. Bicyclists may legally move left to turn, avoid hazards, or pass.

   Source: Handbook p. 50

   “they can legally move left for several reasons, such as: • Turning left. • Avoiding hazards. • Passing pedestrians or vehicles.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 50

3. At night a bicycle needs a white head lamp visible from 500 feet and a rear reflector.

   Source: Handbook p. 50

   “When riding at night, have a white head lamp visible from 500 feet, and a rear reflector.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 50

4. Car and motorcycle collisions at intersections usually happen when a driver turns into the motorcycle's path.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “Intersections are at risk for car/motorcycle collisions, which are usually the result of a driver turning into the motorcycle’s path.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 51

5. Motorcycles are allowed the full width of a lane; never crowd into the same lane.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “Motorcycles are allowed the full width of a lane in which to maneuver. Never crowd into the same lane as a motorcycle.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 51

6. A motorcycle may filter past stopped vehicles only where the limit is 45 mph or less and at no more than 15 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “The posted speed limit does not exceed 45 miles per hour. • The motorcycle does not travel faster than 15 miles per hour.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 51

7. Do not cut in front of trucks; they take twice as long to stop.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “Don’t cut in front of trucks. It takes trucks twice as long to stop.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 52

8. Trucks make wide right turns, so never pass a truck on the right if it might turn right.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “To avoid a collision, do not pass a truck on the right if there is any possibility that it might make a right turn.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 52

9. Passing another vehicle in a school crossing zone is prohibited.

   Source: Handbook p. 42

   “Passing another vehicle in a school crossing zone is prohibited.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 42

10. Expect a train or other on track equipment on any track at any time.

    Source: Handbook p. 42

    “Expect a train or other on-track equipment on any track at any time.”
    Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 42

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Arizona practice test

1. 1. What equipment does the Arizona manual say a bicyclist needs when riding at night?

   1. A bell and a mirror
   2. Reflective tires
   3. A helmet only
   4. A white head lamp visible from 500 feet and a rear reflector
   Show answer

   A white head lamp visible from 500 feet and a rear reflector. When riding at night, a bicyclist should have a white head lamp visible from 500 feet and a rear reflector. Drivers should expect bicycles on the road after dark and look for that small white light and red reflector, especially at intersections and driveways. Leave at least three feet when passing a bicyclist, day or night, and slow down when your headlights pick up a reflector ahead.

2. 2. What is prohibited when a crosswalk at a school crossing is occupied?

   1. Using a turn signal before entering the crossing
   2. Passing another vehicle stopped for a pedestrian
   3. Yielding to the person in the crosswalk
   4. Stopping before the crosswalk
   Show answer

   Passing another vehicle stopped for a pedestrian. Arizona prohibits passing another vehicle that is stopped for a pedestrian at a school crossing, even when the passing driver has a clear lane or a green signal. The remaining choices describe actions that can support safety or comply with the crossing rule. A green light does not erase the duty to protect a person already crossing. Look for the combination of a stopped vehicle and a pedestrian: that is the warning that passing is forbidden, not an invitation to use the open lane.

3. 3. What should a driver expect on any railroad track at any time?

   1. Only passenger trains during daylight
   2. A train or other on-track equipment
   3. No rail traffic when warning lights are off
   4. A clear crossing unless a gate is down
   Show answer

   A train or other on-track equipment. The railroad guidance tells drivers to expect a train or other on-track equipment on any track at any time. A quiet crossing, daylight, or inactive warning equipment does not guarantee that rails are clear. Passenger trains are not the only possible rail traffic, and a lowered gate is not the only warning. Slow before the crossing, look and listen carefully, and never commit the vehicle unless the route over the tracks is visibly clear from entrance to exit.

Source: the Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Section 4: Sharing the Road with Other Vehicles. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.