To safely pass a bicycle, you should:
- Honk at the bicyclist to let them know you're trying to pass.
- Drive in the bicycle lane until you get a chance to pass.
- Slow down and give them as much space as possible. ✓
- Rush ahead to pull in front of the bicyclist.
Answer: C. Slow down and give them as much space as possible.
Slow down and give the bicyclist as much room as you can when you pass.
Why this is the answer
The handbook treats a bicycle as a vehicle with the same rights on the road, and it says bicyclists may move out into the travel lane to avoid hazards, narrow lanes, or to set up a left turn. Because of that, Florida law requires you to leave at least three feet of clearance and to use caution and reduce speed when you drive next to or pass a bicyclist. Slowing down and giving plenty of space is exactly what that rule asks of you.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Honk at the bicyclist to let them know you're trying to pass. — The handbook never tells you to honk at a bicyclist, and it lists excessive horn use among aggressive driving behaviors to avoid.
- B. Drive in the bicycle lane until you get a chance to pass. — Nothing in the handbook lets you drive in the bicycle lane; the guidance is to pass with clearance and caution while staying in your lane.
- D. Rush ahead to pull in front of the bicyclist. — Cutting in front of another road user is listed as aggressive driving, and rushing past a bicyclist leaves no room for the clearance the law requires.
Remember it
Three feet is the number to hold on to: ease off the gas and leave at least that much room as you go by.