Florida Driver's Handbook 2010

3. Your Driving

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Bicyclists

In Florida, the bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle. Bicyclists using a public roadway are considered operators of motor vehicles and are responsible for observing traffic laws. Bicyclists may generally operate legally on sidewalks (except by local ordinance). They may operate in either direction, though riding against the flow of traffic on the adjacent roadway places them where motorists are not expecting traffic. Generally, sidewalk bicycling is not recommended, due to the usual increase in conflicts with bicycles and motor vehicles at driveways and intersections.

Persons Who are Blind

The primary traveling aids for a person who is blind are often a white cane or a trained guide dog. Independent travel involves some risk that can be greatly reduced when you, the driver, are aware of the use and meaning of a white cane or guide dog.

Drivers must always yield the right-of-way to persons who are blind. When a pedestrian is crossing a street or highway guided by a dog or carrying a white cane (or a white cane with a red tip), vehicles must come to a complete stop.

Mobility-Impaired Persons

Drivers must yield the right-of-way to mobility-impaired persons and pedestrians utilizing the assistance of a guide dog or service animal. When a pedestrian is crossing a public street or highway and the pedestrian is using a walker, a crutch, or an orthopedic cane or wheelchair, vehicles must come to a complete stop.

School Buses

On a two way street or highway, all drivers moving in either direction must stop for a stopped school bus which is picking up or dropping off children. You must always stop if you are moving in the same direction as the bus and you must remain stopped until the bus stop arm is withdrawn.

If the highway is divided by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least five feet wide, you do not have to stop if you are moving in the opposite direction of the bus. Painted lines or pavement markings are not considered barriers. You must always stop if you are moving in the same direction as the bus and you must continue until the bus stop arm is withdrawn.

Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stopped signal commits a moving violation and will be required to complete a basic driver improvement course.

School Crossings

School zones help protect the safety of students when they cross the roadway. School crosswalks help inform drivers that children use that crossing to go to and from school. Be attentive to school zone speed limits, school crossing guards, and unpredictable children, since these situations may require you to reduce your speed or stop. When children (walking, bicycling or skating) or school crossing guards are present in a crosswalk, drivers must yield or stop at the marked stop line and without stopping in the crosswalk. It is the driver's responsibility to avoid colliding with pedestrians. Do your part to make every school crossing a safe crossing for children.

Public Transit

All drivers should yield the right-of-way to public transit buses traveling in the same direction which have signaled and are reentering the traffic flow from a specifically designated pullout bay.

Funeral Processions

Pedestrians and drivers must yield the right-of-way to funeral processions. When the first vehicle in the funeral processions lawfully enters an intersection, other vehicles in the procession must have their headlights on as a signal to other drivers not to drive between or interfere with the procession while it is in motion unless directed to do so by a law enforcement officer.

Driveways

Drivers entering and exiting a road from a driveway, alley or roadside should yield to vehicles already on the main road and bicyclists and pedestrians on the sidewalk, shared use path or bike lanes.

Emergency Vehicles

Pedestrians and drivers must yield the right-of-way to law enforcement vehicles, fire engines and other emergency vehicles using sirens and/or flashing lights. Pull over to the closest edge of the roadway immediately and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. Do not block intersections.

"Move Over"

When driving on interstate highways or other highways with two or more lanes traveling in the direction of the emergency vehicle, and except when otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer, drivers approaching a law enforcement or other authorized emergency vehicle parked on the roadway with their emergency lights activated, will be required to leave the lane closest to the emergency vehicle, as soon as it is safe to do so.

Note: Emergency vehicles include wreckers that are displaying their amber rotating flashing lights and performing a recovery or loading on a roadside.

When approaching a law enforcement or other authorized emergency vehicle parked on a two-lane roadway with their emergency lights activated, and except when otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer, drivers will be required to slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or greater; or travel at 5 miles per hour when the posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less.

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