Motorcycles — Colorado Permit Test

Motorcyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other drivers, and with minimal crash protection are very vulnerable to injury or death when hit by a larger vehicle.

There is nothing around a rider but clothing. The same collision that dents your door ends their riding for good.

With minimal crash protection, motorcyclists are very vulnerable to injury, even death, when hit by a larger vehicle

Motorcyclists are entitled to the same full lane width as other vehicles and frequently move around in their lane so they can see, be seen and avoid road hazards.

A rider moving within the lane is working, not wandering. Sharing their lane is never an option a driver has.

Motorcyclists frequently move around in their lane so they can see, be seen and avoid road hazards

Strong winds can unexpectedly move a motorcycle out of its lane.

A gust that you feel as a nudge at the wheel moves a motorcycle several feet sideways. It is not the rider losing control.

Also, be aware that strong winds can unexpectedly move a motorcycle out of its lane

Motorcycles are smaller than other motor vehicles, harder to see, and can move faster and stop quicker than expected.

They are small enough to hide behind a windshield pillar and quick enough to be somewhere new by the time you look again.

Motorcycles are smaller than other motor vehicles, harder to see and can move faster and stop quicker than expected

Road defects and debris can create dangers for motorcyclists, so watch for them, use extra caution around them and increase your following distance.

A pothole you would not notice can put a motorcycle down. Extra space is what keeps you out of the way when it does.

Watch for motorcyclists, use extra caution when driving around them and increase your following distance

A motorist pulling out from a driveway and failing to look for a motorcyclist on the road or sidewalk is a common cause of collision, so check both directions and beyond the curb when crossing a sidewalk, bike path or road.

Pulling out of a driveway, drivers look for cars in the road and not for a rider already on the sidewalk in front of them.

Check both directions and beyond the curb or driveway when crossing a sidewalk

To prevent a collision with a rider, look for oncoming motorcyclists on the shoulder, at the edge of the lane or behind other oncoming vehicles, and judge their distance and speed before turning.

A rider behind an oncoming car appears only in the moment before you turn. Looking twice is what finds them.

Look for oncoming motorcyclists riding on the shoulder, edge of the lane or behind other oncoming vehicles and take time to accurately judge their distance and speed before turning

Always check behind you before opening a door into the roadway, and try opening the door with your arm opposite the door.

A door opened into a lane gives a rider no time at all. Reaching across turns your head toward the danger before the latch moves.

Always check behind you before opening a door into the roadway and try opening the door with your arm opposite the door

When turning right in front of a motorcyclist traveling straight, yield and let them clear the intersection first, and make turns from close to the curb.

A rider going straight has the road. Turning across them from a gap at the curb is the one movement they cannot avoid.

Yield and let the cyclist clear the intersection first and make turns from close to the curb to prevent a cyclist approaching from behind from passing unsafely on your right

What makes a motorcyclist especially vulnerable?

They have minimal crash protection. There is nothing around a rider but clothing. The same collision that dents your door ends their riding for good. Colorado Driver Handbook, p.23: “With minimal crash protection, motorcyclists are very vulnerable to injury, even death, when hit by a larger vehicle”