Sharing the road
You are about to pass a bicyclist on a two-lane road. What does the manual tell you to do with your speed as you go by?
- Reduce it, because the air pressure from a fast-passing vehicle can knock the rider off balance. Correct answer
- Increase it, so that you spend less time next to the rider.
- Keep it steady; only the distance you leave matters, not your speed.
Why
Passing a bicycle quickly feels safer because it is over sooner, but the manual says the opposite. The wind a vehicle pushes as it goes by can throw a cyclist off balance, so you should slow down while passing, and you should also leave plenty of room. Speed and distance work together here, which is why the option that ignores speed is wrong too. The law also tells you how to pass: when you overtake a bicyclist from behind, you go around on the left at a safe distance until you are clear of the bicycle. The same wind effect applies to motorcyclists. Give the rider both things at the same time, less speed and more room.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is Reduce it, because the air pressure from a fast-passing vehicle can knock the rider off balance.
More on sharing the road
- On a steel deck bridge, the motorcyclist ahead of you moves to the center of the lane. What should you do?
- At an intersection you see a marked area painted across the lane ahead of where cars are required to stop. What is it, and how should you treat it?
- You stop behind a truck at a red light on an uphill street. Why should you leave extra space in front of your car?
- The truck ahead of you signals a right turn but first moves toward the left side of its lane. What is most likely happening?