If you are driving near a motorcycle, you must:
- Allow the motorcycle to use a complete lane. ✓
- Drive on the shoulder beside the motorcycle.
- Allow the motorcycle to use only half of a lane.
- Pass using the same lane as the motorcycle.
Answer: A. Allow the motorcycle to use a complete lane.
You must allow the motorcycle to use a complete lane, so give the rider a full lane width and do not share the lane.
Why this is the answer
The Texas handbook states that a motorcycle is entitled to a full lane even when the lane looks wide enough for a car and a bike together. The reason given is that the rider may need that room to maneuver safely, so you should not try to share the lane with a motorcycle. That makes giving over the whole lane the correct choice, not squeezing past or riding alongside in the same space.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Drive on the shoulder beside the motorcycle. — Driving on the shoulder beside the motorcycle is not the rule for passing or sharing space; the handbook tells you to leave the motorcycle the full lane rather than pulling alongside it.
- C. Allow the motorcycle to use only half of a lane. — Giving the motorcycle only half a lane ignores the handbook's point that the motorcycle is entitled to a full lane and may need the room to maneuver.
- D. Pass using the same lane as the motorcycle. — Passing in the same lane means sharing the lane with the motorcycle, which the handbook directly tells you not to do.
Remember it
Think of a motorcycle as taking up a whole parking spot, not half of one: leave the lane to the rider.