Sample Lesson: Rules of Movement

The road is a cooperative system, not a playground or a competitive arena.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the Rules of the Road. Stuff like ride on the right, and stop at stop signs.

Before we get to those, we need to understand the Rules of Movement. The Rules of Movement exist without signs, signals, or painted lines. They are the foundation of our cooperative traffic system. Following them makes all of us road users (people driving cars, bicycles, or walking) predictable to one another, and keeps us from crashing into each other.

3 Rules for Predictability

1) Drive on the right half of the road. Never ride your bike facing traffic on the road, in a bike lane, or on a shoulder. No one is looking for you to come from the wrong direction.

2) Pass on the left of slower vehicles, and slower path users.

3) Position your vehicle properly prior to making a turn. If you’re turning right, move to the right side or right lane. If you’re turning left, move to the left side of the lane, or the left lane.

3 Rules for Priority on the Road

4) First come, first served establishes priority based on position, not speed. Speed has no priority. It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow. If you are there first, you have priority.

5) When making a lateral move, such as changing lanes, you must yield to drivers already in that lane.

6) Yield before entering the roadway from a driveway or alley. Drivers in a travel lane have priority over those entering the roadway. Pedestrians on a sidewalk also have priority over drivers entering the road.

3 Rules for Priority at Intersections

7) Before making a left turn, yield to opposing traffic.

8) First come, first served also comes into play at intersections. Whoever got there first has priority over others.

9) When two drivers get to an intersection at the same time, the driver to the right has priority.

These rules are so effective at establishing right-of-way for vehicles traveling at different speeds and trajectories that they function in the absence of traffic controls such as stop signs, traffic lights and even lane lines. Traffic controls are necessary to resolve problems created by speed and volume. When there are traffic controls (like red lights and stop signs), remember that they take precedence.