Sharing the road
On a steel deck bridge, the motorcyclist ahead of you moves to the center of the lane. What should you do?
- Stay a good distance behind; the rider is adjusting for the uneven surface. Correct answer
- Pass on the side the rider left open, since the lane now has room.
- Close the gap so you are ready to pass once you leave the bridge.
Why
Motorcyclists have to react to road surfaces that barely matter to a car. On a steel deck bridge the surface is uneven, so a rider may move to the center of the lane to handle it, and the manual tells you to stay well back when that happens. The open space beside the motorcycle is not yours: you may not share a lane with a motorcycle, and a pass must give it a full lane. Closing the gap is the opposite of the advice, and tailgating a motorcycle is risky in general because it can stop in a shorter distance than a car under the right conditions. Riders make similar moves for gravel, pavement seams, covers and railroad tracks. When the rider shifts to handle the surface, the right response from behind is more distance, not less.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is Stay a good distance behind; the rider is adjusting for the uneven surface.
- Chapter 11 / Sharing the Road › Motorcyclists, page 73
- Chapter 6 / How to Pass, page 39
More on sharing the road
- 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?
- On a two-way highway, a tractor-trailer is coming toward you in the opposite lane. How does its size tend to fool drivers?