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Sharing the road
Read about how you can safely share the road with everyone.
In this topic
Sharing the road in stage four
Driving around bike riders and motorcyclists
Sharing the road with bike riders and motorcyclists
Video: How much space should drivers give riders?
Video: Checking for bike riders and motorcyclists
Shared zones
Video: Give way to people walking
Safety zones
We all have a role in road safety
Sharing the Road
Sharing the road in stage four
Across the stages of the learner period you’ve been sharing the road with other road users.
There are lots of different road users on the road, so it’s important to know what you can do to help to keep everyone safe.
Driving around bike riders and motorcyclists
Bike riders and motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers.
They also have a higher risk of injury than drivers, as they have less protection in the event of a crash.
They are harder to see because they’re smaller than cars so always check your blind spot.
Riders of bikes and motorcycles need to move around in the lane due to the road surface, so make sure to create a lot of space from them.
Sharing the road with bike riders and motorcyclists
When sharing the road with bike riders and motorcyclists, remember to:
- Slow down and be patient.
- Keep at least one metre away in speed zones up to 60km/h and give them even more space at higher speeds.
- Follow the road signs and lane markings.
- Always use your mirrors and do a head check.
- Watch out for riders that can be obscured behind vehicles or objects.
- Look out for riders before turning, entering an intersection or changing lanes.
- Use your mirrors and do a head check before opening your car door.
Giving bike riders enough space
We're asking drivers to slow when passing bike riders and give at least 1 metre in speed zones up to 60km/h and at least 1.5 metres in zones over 60km/h. It’s just a little bit of space.
Safe driving tips
Sharing the road with bike riders and motorcyclists.
Shared zones
A shared zone usually has a speed limit of 10km/h or as indicated on the shared zone sign and drivers must always give way to people walking and bike riders.
Giving way to people crossing
When turning at any intersection (except a roundabout), you must give way to any people crossing the road you are entering.
Everyone makes mistakes
So we all need to play our part in keeping our roads safe, whether you’re a person walking, bike rider, motorcyclist, driver or other road user.
All road users have safety rules to follow when sharing the road.
To help share the road safely you should:
- Let others know where you’re going, use your indicators when you turn or change lanes.
- Give others space.
- Leave a gap between your vehicle and the vehicle in front.
- Be predictable and control your speed smoothly.
- Let others pass, stay in the left lane unless overtaking.
- Stay behind the line and keep intersections clear.
- Be courteous and let others merge.
- Check your blind spot and change lanes safely.
- Slow down near roadworks and be careful of road workers.
Safety zones
People walking can also be hard to see if they’re stepping out from behind or in front of a bus or tram.
Remember to use your indicators even if you think there’s no-one around. There may still be other drivers or road users that aren’t directly in your sight.