Motorcycles and bicycles

Key points

1. Give a motorcyclist a full lane width.

   Source: Handbook p. 68

   “Allow the motorcyclist a full lane width.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 68

2. Nearly 40 percent of motorcycle crashes with another vehicle happen when the other vehicle turns left in front of the rider.

   Source: Handbook p. 68

   “Nearly 40 percent were caused by the other vehicle turning left in front of the motorcyclist.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 68

3. Motorcycle turn signals usually do not cancel themselves, so wait to be sure the rider is turning.

   Source: Handbook p. 68

   “motorcycle signals usually are not self-cancelling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 68

4. Allow 3 or 4 seconds of following distance behind a motorcycle.

   Source: Handbook p. 68

   “Allow more following distance, three or four seconds, following a motorcycle”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 68

5. A bicyclist has the same duties and rights as a driver.

   Source: Handbook p. 68

   “a person riding a bicycle has the same duties and rights as a driver of a motor vehicle;”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 68

6. When passing a bicycle, leave no less than 3 feet of clearance until safely past.

   Source: Handbook p. 69

   “must leave a safe distance of no less than three feet clearance, when applicable, when passing a bicycle”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 69

7. Do not blast your horn when approaching a bicyclist, and look for bicycles before opening car doors.

   Source: Handbook p. 69

   “Do not blast a vehicle's horn when approaching a bicyclist. Look for bicycles before opening car doors.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 69

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Nebraska practice test

1. 1. How much space should a driver allow when following a motorcycle?

   1. Three or four seconds
   2. One second because motorcycles are small
   3. The same two-second gap used behind a parked vehicle
   4. No extra space in dry conditions
   Show answer

   Three or four seconds. Motorcycles can change position or speed in response to pavement seams, gravel, wet surfaces, and railroad crossings. Nebraska therefore recommends three or four seconds behind one, giving the rider time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. The motorcycle's small size is not a reason to reduce the gap; it can make the vehicle harder to judge and leaves less visual margin. Dry pavement does not remove the need for space. Choose a fixed marker and preserve the longer interval, especially when the roadway presents a surface problem.

2. 2. Why should a driver allow a full lane width to a motorcycle?

   1. A motorcycle may use only half a lane on a two-lane road
   2. Motorcycles are required to ride beside the lane line
   3. The motorcycle must always travel below the posted speed
   4. The motorcycle needs room to maneuver safely
   Show answer

   The motorcycle needs room to maneuver safely. Nebraska says a motorcycle needs the full lane width to maneuver safely, even when the pavement seems wide enough for a car and motorcycle side by side. Do not share the lane. A rider may need space to respond to surface problems, changing traffic, or a sudden hazard, and squeezing into a partial lane removes that margin. The lane-line choice invents a placement requirement, while the speed and half-lane choices contradict the manual's safety principle. Picture the motorcycle as occupying the entire lane whenever you pass or travel beside it.

3. 3. How much clearance must a motorist leave when overtaking a bicycle, when applicable?

   1. No less than three feet
   2. No less than one foot
   3. Exactly six inches
   4. At least ten feet in every situation
   Show answer

   No less than three feet. Nebraska requires a motorist overtaking a bicycle in the same direction to leave a safe distance of no less than three feet when applicable and to keep that clearance until safely past. One foot and six inches leave too little room for a wobble or roadway hazard. Ten feet is not the stated universal minimum. If three feet cannot be provided safely, reduce speed and wait to pass. Check the opposing lane, signal as needed, and remember that the clearance must continue throughout the overtake.

Source: the Nebraska Driver's Manual, Section 6: Sharing the Road With Other Users. 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.