How much room do cyclists need on either side of themselves as a safety zone?
- 3 metres
- 1 metre ✓
- 2 metres
- 4 metres
Answer: B. 1 metre
Cyclists get a one-metre safety zone, so drivers passing them must leave at least one metre between the vehicle and the cyclist.
Why this is the answer
The Ontario handbook says that when a motor vehicle passes a cyclist, the driver must keep a minimum distance of one metre where practical. It also describes cyclists riding about one metre from the curb or parked cars. Both points support treating one metre as the space to protect around a cyclist. The handbook's stated minimum is one metre, not a larger guessed gap.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. 3 metres — Three metres is wider than the handbook's stated one-metre minimum, so it is not the required safety gap.
- C. 2 metres — Two metres is also wider than the one-metre minimum described in the handbook.
- D. 4 metres — Four metres is not the handbook figure; the passage gives one metre as the minimum passing distance.
Remember it
Remember 'one metre beside the bike' when you see a cyclist ahead.