8.1 Vulnerable Road Users: Pedestrians, School Crossings & Cyclists
Key Takeaways
Not all crosswalks are marked, but nearly all intersections have them, and you must not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.
Many more pedestrians are hit by vehicles turning left than turning right, so scan crosswalks carefully before and during every turn.
Cyclists usually ride about one metre from the curb but may use any part of the lane to avoid hazards, cross tracks at 90 degrees, or discourage unsafe passing.
When passing a cyclist, leave at least one metre where practical and change lanes whenever possible; failing to do so can bring a fine and 2 demerit points.
Motorcycles use a full lane, and because many motorcycle turn signals do not cancel automatically, make sure an oncoming rider is really turning before you turn left in front of them.
Vulnerable Road Users: Pedestrians, School Crossings & Cyclists
Quick Summary: Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and moped riders have no metal shell, crumple zones or airbags, so any collision can be life-changing. The handbook calls road safety a responsibility shared between pedestrians and drivers. In most cases, properly responding to a pedestrian means yielding. This section gathers the handbook's pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle rules: what to watch for, where the law makes you stop, and how much room to give.
Why Vulnerable Road Users Get Special Rules
Speed decides how badly an unprotected person is hurt. A pedestrian hit at 30 km/h is far more likely to survive than one hit at 50 km/h. Ontario law reflects this in two ways:
- Clear stopping duties at crossovers, school crossings and crosswalks (Sections 2.3 and 3.2).
- Reverse onus in civil cases (HTA s. 193): when a motor vehicle on a highway injures someone, such as a pedestrian or cyclist, the driver or owner must prove the harm did not result from their negligence. This does not apply to collisions between two motor vehicles.
Where You Must Stop for Pedestrians: Quick Recap
| Location | Your Duty | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian crossover | Stop and yield the whole roadway; go only when pedestrians are safely on the sidewalk | Section 3.2 (4 demerit points; no passing within 30 m) |
| School crossing with a guard displaying a stop sign | Stop and stay stopped until everyone, including the guard, has cleared the entire roadway | Section 2.3 (3 demerit points) |
| Crosswalk at a signalized or stop-controlled intersection | Yield to pedestrians in or approaching your path, especially when turning | Sections 3.2 and 4.1 |
| Vehicle stopped at a crosswalk | Do not pass it; it may be stopped for a pedestrian you cannot see | Handbook |
Ontario.ca's summary: at a crosswalk, drivers must stop and yield the entire roadway only when a school crossing guard is present. At crossovers and school crossings, they always must.
Sharing the Road With Pedestrians: The Handbook's Watch List
The handbook lists specific pedestrian situations. Each one is fair game on the test:
- Children: Drive slowly through school zones, residential areas and anywhere children may be walking or playing. Don't rely on a child knowing traffic laws; a child may dart out from between parked cars. Take extra care at twilight, when children may still be playing but are hard to see.
- All crosswalks: A crosswalk is the part of the road that connects sidewalks on opposite sides, or any area marked for pedestrian crossing. Not all crosswalks are marked, but nearly all intersections have them.
- Community Safety Zones: Signs mark areas where the community has identified a special risk to pedestrians, and fines are increased there.
- Slow pedestrians: Signal cycles may not give slow walkers enough time. Be patient with seniors and people with disabilities.
- White cane or guide dog: A pedestrian who is blind or has a visual disability may use a white cane or a guide dog. Give them extra caution and courtesy.
- Quiet vehicles: Hybrid and electric vehicles make little noise when slowing or stopping, and people with vision loss often rely on engine sound, so extra caution is needed.
- Wheelchairs and medical scooters: People using motorized wheelchairs and medical scooters are pedestrians too.
- Streetcars: Pass streetcar safety islands and zones at a reasonable speed, and be ready for sudden moves by passengers. Where there is no island, stop at least two metres behind the streetcar's rear doors (Section 5.3).
- Distracted pedestrians: People using phones or earbuds may not hear horns or traffic.
- Dark clothing: Pedestrians in dark clothing are hard to see at night and at twilight.
- New transport: E-bikes and e-scooters are appearing on roads, so all road users need extra awareness.
- Turning at intersections: Many more pedestrians are hit by cars turning left than turning right. The driver is busy with the intersection while the pedestrian looks straight ahead.
Tip
Eye contact between pedestrian and driver is, in the handbook's words, "one of the keys to pedestrian safety." Pedestrians should make sure drivers have seen them before stepping out, and drivers should confirm that a pedestrian knows they are stopping.
Sharing the Road With Cyclists
Bicycles are vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act. Cyclists have the right to use the road and must obey its rules.
Where Cyclists Ride, and Why They Move Out
The handbook says bicycles and mopeds travelling slower than traffic are expected to ride about one metre from the curb or parked cars, or as close as practical to the right edge where there is no curb. They may use any part of the lane when needed for safety, for example to:
- avoid puddles, ice, sand, debris, potholes, rutted or grooved pavement and sewer grates;
- cross railway or streetcar tracks at a 90° angle;
- discourage passing where the lane is too narrow to share safely.
Cyclists need not keep right when they are travelling at the normal speed of traffic, or when turning left or moving into position to turn left. They may turn left from a left-turn lane.
Passing a Cyclist: One Metre
- Leave at least one metre between your vehicle and the cyclist, where practical. Failing to do so may bring a fine and 2 demerit points (HTA s. 148(6.1)).
- Whenever possible, change lanes to pass. If you cannot leave a metre safely, wait behind the cyclist until you can.
- Don't follow too closely. Bicycles have no brake lights to warn you they are slowing.
- Horn: Don't sound it unnecessarily when overtaking a cyclist, because it may startle them. If you must, tap it lightly while still some distance away.
At Intersections
- Turning right: signal and check your mirrors and your right blind spot so you do not cut off a cyclist.
- Turning left: stop and wait for oncoming bicycles to pass before you turn.
- Going straight: scan for cyclists waiting to turn left.
- Bike lanes, bike boxes and sharrows: Enter or cross a bike lane to turn right only when it is safe. Stop behind a bike box, never in it. A sharrow means the lane is shared (Section 3.3).
- Hand signals: A cyclist may signal a right turn by extending the right arm straight out.
- Children on bikes: They may lack the skills or knowledge of traffic rules, and may struggle to control an oversized bicycle.
Doors: The Dutch Reach
Opening a door into the path of a cyclist ("dooring") is an offence under HTA s. 165: improper opening of a vehicle door carries 3 demerit points, and fines can reach $1,000. The handbook recommends the Dutch reach: open the driver's door with your right hand, which turns your body into a shoulder check. When parked, look behind you and check your mirrors and blind spot before opening a door.
Sharing the Road With Motorcycles, Limited-Speed Motorcycles and Mopeds
- Harder to see: Motorcycles, limited-speed motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles are small and can hide behind windshield pillars and in blind spots. Always do a shoulder check before turning or changing lanes.
- Sudden moves: Riders may shift position because of uneven road surfaces or bad weather. Wet streetcar tracks, metal grates and painted markings are slippery for two wheels.
- Full lane: Motorcycles use a full lane. Treat them like other vehicles, and never share a lane with one when passing; change lanes.
- Turn signals: Many motorcycle signals do not cancel automatically. Be careful turning left in front of an oncoming motorcycle with its signal on, because the rider may simply have forgotten to switch it off.
- Following distance: The handbook lists following motorcycles as a situation needing more than the two-second minimum.
Summary Table: Vulnerable Road User Rules
| Road User / Situation | Rule | Penalty or Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian crossover | Stop; wait until pedestrians are safely on the sidewalk | 4 demerit points; fine up to $1,000 |
| School crossing guard with stop sign | Stop; wait until everyone, including the guard, has cleared the roadway | 3 demerit points (handbook) |
| Vehicle stopped at a crosswalk | Do not pass it | Handbook |
| Passing a cyclist | At least one metre where practical; change lanes when possible | Fine and 2 demerit points |
| Opening a door | Check first; use the Dutch reach | 3 demerit points |
| Following a motorcycle | More than the two-second minimum | Handbook |
You are about to turn left at a signalized intersection. Why does the handbook tell you to pay special attention to pedestrians?
Pedestrians are not allowed to cross while vehicles turn left
Many more people are hit by cars turning left than turning right, because driver and pedestrian are looking elsewhere
Left turns are only allowed when no pedestrians are in sight for 100 metres
Pedestrians must yield to turning vehicles at signals
A cyclist ahead moves toward the centre of the lane to go around a sewer grate and some potholes. What does the handbook say about this?
Cyclists must always stay within 30 centimetres of the curb
It is illegal; you should sound your horn
Cyclists may use any part of the lane when needed for safety, such as to avoid hazards
Cyclists must dismount to go around hazards
An oncoming motorcycle has its right turn signal flashing as you wait to turn left. What should you do?
Make sure the rider is actually turning before you turn in front of them
Turn immediately, because the motorcycle must turn right
Flash your headlights to hurry the rider
Pass the motorcycle in its lane
What does Ontario law and the handbook say about opening a car door on the traffic side?
It is allowed any time the car is parked legally
Only passengers are responsible for dooring
It carries only a warning
It is an offence unless you first make sure it is safe; it carries 3 demerit points, and the handbook recommends the Dutch reach
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.