3.2 Passing, Lane Changes, and Sharing the Road

Motorcyclists share the road with a vast array of vehicles, from small passenger cars to massive commercial transport trucks and public transit vehicles. Your safety depends on your ability to predict their movements, stay out of their blind spots, and execute lane changes and passing maneuvers smoothly and legally.

Safe Passing Rules

Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway places you in the oncoming traffic lane, making it one of the most hazardous maneuvers you can perform. Before you decide to pass, you must ensure you have a clear view of the road ahead and that no oncoming traffic is dangerously close.

The correct sequence for a safe pass is:

1. Check your mirrors: Ensure no one is coming up fast behind you.
2. Shoulder check (Blind spot check): Physically turn your head to check your blind spot to ensure another vehicle hasn't already begun passing you.
3. Signal: Activate your left turn signal well in advance to alert others of your intent.
4. Accelerate: Move into the passing lane and accelerate smoothly and briskly to minimize your time in the opposing lane and the other vehicle's blind spot.
5. Return Safely: Do not cut back in immediately in front of the vehicle you just passed. You must wait until you can see the entire front of the passed vehicle in your rearview mirror. Once you have established this safe following distance, signal right, do a quick shoulder check, and return to your original lane.

Passing on the Right

While passing is generally done on the left, passing on the right is legal under specific, restricted circumstances in Ontario. You may pass on the right when:

• You are driving on a multi-lane road with two or more lanes of traffic moving in your direction.
• The vehicle ahead of you is making, or is about to make, a left turn, and there is sufficient space on the paved portion of the roadway to safely pass them on the right.

You must never drive onto the unpaved shoulder of the road to pass a vehicle on the right. Doing so is illegal, and the loose gravel on the shoulder can easily cause a motorcycle to lose traction and crash.

School Buses

School buses require your utmost attention because children behave unpredictably and may suddenly dart into the street.

When driving on an undivided highway (a road without a physical median), if you approach a stopped school bus with its upper alternating red lights flashing and stop arm extended, you must stop your motorcycle at least 20 metres away from the bus. This rule applies whether you are driving behind the bus or approaching it from the opposite direction. You must remain completely stopped until the red lights stop flashing, the stop arm is retracted, and the bus begins to move.

Median Strip Exception: If you are driving on a highway divided by a physical median strip (such as a concrete barrier or an unpaved grass boulevard), you only need to stop if you are traveling in the same direction as the school bus. Vehicles approaching from the opposite direction on the other side of the median are not required to stop, though they should proceed with caution.

Pedestrian Crossovers and School Zones

Pedestrian crossovers are specialized crosswalks indicated by specific signs, pavement markings (shark's teeth yield lines), and sometimes flashing overhead lights triggered by a push button. At these crossovers, drivers and riders must stop and yield the entire width of the roadway to pedestrians. You cannot proceed until the pedestrian has safely reached the opposite sidewalk.

In school zones, strict speed limit reductions apply during specific hours. Fines for speeding in school zones are significantly increased to protect vulnerable children.

Sharing the Road with Large Commercial Vehicles

Commercial vehicles, such as semi-trucks, have vastly different operating characteristics than cars or motorcycles.

• The No-Zones (Blind Spots): Large trucks have enormous blind spots directly in front of the cab, directly behind the trailer, and spanning multiple lanes on both sides. The general rule is: if you cannot see the truck driver's face in their side mirrors, they cannot see you. Avoid lingering in these no-zones.
• Wide Right Turns: Large trucks require a massive turning radius. A truck may need to swing wide to the left lane in order to execute a right turn. If you see a truck ahead signaling a right turn but moving left, do not attempt to squeeze past them on the right. You could be crushed between the truck and the curb in what is known as a "right-hook" collision.
• Wind Buffeting: A fast-moving semi-truck pushes a solid wall of air ahead of it and creates a vacuum in its wake. When you pass a large truck, or when one passes you coming the other way, anticipate a severe blast of wind that can physically push your motorcycle off its line. Grip the tank with your knees and lean slightly into the wind to maintain stability.

Streetcars and Public Transit Buses

In urban centers like Toronto, you will encounter streetcars on rails. When a streetcar stops to pick up or drop off passengers, and there is no concrete safety island for the pedestrians, you must bring your motorcycle to a complete stop at least 2 metres behind the rearmost door where passengers are boarding or exiting. You must remain stopped until all passengers are safely on the sidewalk and the streetcar doors close.

When dealing with public transit buses, Ontario law requires you to yield the right-of-way to a bus that has its left-turn signal flashing and is attempting to re-enter the flow of traffic from a bus bay or shoulder. Always give them the space they need to merge safely.