Pedestrians, school buses, funerals and bicycles

Key points

1. Yield to pedestrians even if the pedestrian is wrong.

   Source: Handbook p. 39

   “it is still the driver’s basic responsibility to be alert for pedestrians and to yield the right-of-way, even if the pedestrian is wrong.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 39

2. Pedestrians with a guide dog or white cane have absolute right of way. Do not use your horn.

   Source: Handbook p. 39

   “Pedestrians using a guide dog or carrying a white cane have absolute right-of-way. Do not use your horn because it could confuse or frighten the blind pedestrian.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 39

3. Do not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk to let a pedestrian cross.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “When a vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to let a pedestrian cross the street, other drivers approaching from the rear may not pass the stopped vehicle.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 40

4. From either direction, stop at least 30 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights and wait until they turn off.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “Upon meeting or passing from either direction any school bus stopped with its red lights flashing, the driver of a vehicle must stop at least 30 feet from the bus and cannot proceed until the red lights are turned off”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 40

5. A bus with flashing yellow lights is about to stop: slow down and proceed carefully.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “or a bus displaying a yellow flashing light, you must slow down and proceed carefully.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 40

6. Yield to a funeral procession and never drive between its vehicles while it is moving, unless an officer allows it.

   Source: Handbook p. 42

   “The driver of a vehicle that is not part of a funeral procession cannot drive between the vehicles forming the procession while the procession is in motion unless the driver is authorized to do so by a police officer”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 42

7. Bicycles are vehicles under Montana law and follow the same traffic laws.

   Source: Handbook p. 42

   “Under Montana law, bicycles are considered vehicles and are governed by the same traffic laws that reasonably apply to their operation.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 42

8. When passing a cyclist on a two lane road, cross the centerline if clear to give about five feet of room.

   Source: Handbook p. 43

   “If there is no oncoming traffic, carefully cross the centerline to give the cyclist a recommended fivefeet distance between them and your motor vehicle.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 43

9. Cyclists often ride 18 to 24 inches into the lane to discourage unsafe passes.

   Source: Handbook p. 43

   “Many bicyclists will often ride further into the lane (approximately 18-24 inches) to discourage motorists from trying to attempt a dangerous in-lane pass.”
   Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 43

10. Yield to a person riding a bicycle in a designated bicycle lane.

    Source: Handbook p. 43

    “Motorists must yield the right-of-way to a person riding a bicycle within a designated bicycle lane.”
    Montana Driver Manual, Handbook p. 43

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Montana practice test

1. 1. What right of way does a Montana pedestrian using a guide dog or carrying a white cane have?

   1. Absolute right of way
   2. Right of way only at traffic lights
   3. Right of way only in marked crosswalks
   4. No special right of way
   Show answer

   Absolute right of way. A pedestrian using a guide dog or carrying a white cane has absolute right of way. Drivers must not use the horn because the sound could confuse or frighten the blind pedestrian. Limiting the protection to signals or marked crosswalks understates the rule. The safe response is to yield, remain patient, and give the pedestrian space to cross without pressure from the vehicle.

2. 2. What must a Montana driver do when a school bus is stopped with red lights flashing?

   1. Stop at least 30 feet from the bus
   2. Pass slowly within 10 feet
   3. Stop only if children are visible
   4. Continue if traveling in the opposite direction
   Show answer

   Stop at least 30 feet from the bus. When meeting or passing a stopped school bus with red lights flashing, a driver must stop at least 30 feet away and wait until the red lights turn off. Children may be in the roadway, so seeing no child is not an exception. The opposite direction also generally must stop unless the bus is on a different road or in an adjacent loading zone where pedestrians cannot cross.

3. 3. What must a driver who is not part of a moving funeral procession avoid doing?

   1. Waiting for the procession to clear before proceeding
   2. Yielding to the procession at an intersection
   3. Driving between the vehicles forming the procession
   4. Remaining outside the procession's line of vehicles
   Show answer

   Driving between the vehicles forming the procession. A driver outside the procession may not drive between the vehicles while the procession is moving, unless authorized by a police officer or operating an emergency vehicle. Cutting through breaks can separate the procession and create conflicts at intersections. Yielding, waiting, and staying outside the line are all consistent with respecting its right-of-way. The rule does not make the procession immune from reasonable care, but it does prohibit inserting an unrelated vehicle into the moving line. Spot the lead and following vehicles, slow down, and let the group pass together.

Source: the Montana Driver Manual, Chapter 4: Driving Rules. 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.