You want to pass a heavy truck while going down a long hill. What does the handbook advise?

Wait until you are on level ground

Pass quickly before it speeds up

Flash your lights so it slows down

Before starting your vehicle, how can you check for children or pedestrians hidden in blind spots?

Walk around the vehicle in a circle check

Look only in the rear-view mirror

New Brunswick Class 7: Sharing the road

Large trucks and their blind spots and stopping distances, motorcycles, cyclists and the one-metre rule, pedestrians and farm vehicles.

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21 questions
Topic drill

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Sharing the road · Question 1Score 0/0

What is Ellen's Law in New Brunswick?

Tip: press 1–4 to answer and Enter for the next question.

Study reference: New Brunswick Driver's Handbook (2022 PDF edition), Ch. 6 Sharing the Road — 6.1–6.5 Other drivers, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, 6.8 Farm vehicles, 6.9 Large trucks, pp. 77–85

All 21 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

What is Ellen's Law in New Brunswick?
1. The rule to give cyclists one metre when passing
2. The rule banning hand-held phones while you drive
3. The rule requiring winter tires
4. The rule for stopping at school buses
How much road directly in front of a long-hood tractor may the driver be unable to see?
1. About the first 1 metre
2. About the first 30 metres
3. About the first 15 metres
4. About the first 6 metres
You want to pass a heavy truck while going down a long hill. What does the handbook advise?
1. Wait until you are on level ground
2. Pass quickly before it speeds up
3. Pass on the right shoulder
4. Flash your lights so it slows down
At what temperature range are roads usually most slippery in winter?
1. On sunny days well above zero
2. Just after a deep freeze
3. At or near the freezing point
4. Well below minus twenty
Before starting your vehicle, how can you check for children or pedestrians hidden in blind spots?
1. Look only in the rear-view mirror
2. Turn on the four-way flashers
3. Sound the horn twice
4. Walk around the vehicle in a circle check
Why does a tractor-trailer take longer to stop than its weight alone would suggest?
1. Trucks have fewer brakes than cars
2. Air brakes have a delay called brake lag
3. Truck tires grip less on dry roads
4. Truck drivers react more slowly
A fully loaded tractor-trailer is travelling at 90 km/h in ideal conditions. About how far will it travel before it stops?
1. About 150 metres
2. About 102 metres
3. About 56 metres
4. About 60 metres
At 90 km/h, how far does a truck travel during an average driver's reaction time of three-quarters of a second?
1. 18 metres
2. 8 metres
3. 30 metres
4. 56 metres
What must a farm tractor display on its rear when driving on a highway?
1. Four-way flashers only
2. A flashing red light
3. A wide load banner
4. A slow-moving vehicle sign
You are behind a tractor-trailer and cannot see the driver in their side mirror. What does that mean?
1. You are in the best position to pass
2. You are at a safe distance
3. The truck driver cannot see you
4. The driver is watching you closely
Why should you leave extra following distance behind a motorcycle?
1. It cannot use its brakes on wet roads
2. It can stop more quickly than a car
3. It always slows down on curves
4. Its tail light is hard to see in daylight
Which is one of the three main types of crash involving farm equipment?
1. Overtaking a farm vehicle that is turning left
2. Farm vehicles backing into parked cars
3. Farm vehicles running red lights in towns
4. Head-on crashes on divided highways
A motorcycle is ahead of you in your lane. How much of the lane is the motorcycle entitled to?
1. Only the space it needs
2. Half the lane
3. The full lane
4. The right third of the lane
You want to pass a cyclist riding in your lane. How much open space must you leave?
1. At least one metre
2. At least two metres
3. At least half a metre
4. At least one car width
You come up behind a slow farm tractor. Before you pass, what should you make sure of?
1. Your high beams are on
2. You keep honking until it pulls onto the shoulder for you
3. You are within 10 metres of it
4. The operator knows you'll pass and the way is clear
A car in the next lane has stopped to let a pedestrian cross at a crosswalk. What must you do?
1. Pass carefully at low speed
2. Sound your horn and continue
3. Stop behind it; do not pass
4. Change lanes and pass on the other side
Which statement about cyclists in New Brunswick is true?
1. Cyclists may ride on sidewalks in towns
2. Helmets are required only for children
3. Cyclists should ride against traffic to see cars
4. Riding a bicycle without a helmet is against the law
Where should a cyclist ride on a road without a bike lane?
1. On the sidewalk when traffic is heavy
2. With traffic, close to the right edge
3. Facing traffic, close to the left edge
4. In the centre of the lane at all times
How far behind a truck can its rear blind spot extend?
1. Up to 25 metres
2. Up to 10 metres
3. Up to 100 metres
4. Up to 60 metres
A large truck ahead of you swings left before turning right at an intersection. What should you do?
1. Stay back and do not move into the open space
2. Sound your horn and pass on the left
3. Move up beside it to show you are there
4. Pass it on the right through the gap
You are passing a cyclist on a two-lane road with a solid yellow line and no oncoming traffic. What does the handbook allow?
1. Stay in your lane and squeeze past
2. Cross the yellow line if it is safe
3. Sound your horn so the cyclist moves onto the shoulder
4. Never pass a cyclist on a two-lane road

Sharing the road: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

6.1 Drivers helping other drivers (p. 77)

Keep a safe following distance, avoid tailgating and crowding, avoid riding in another vehicle's blind spot, avoid sudden moves.
Never drive faster than conditions allow regardless of the posted limit; roads are most slippery at or near the freezing point.

6.2 Drivers and large commercial vehicles (p. 78)

A large vehicle turning right may swing left first; never move into that open space. Turning left it may swing wide.
Heavy vehicles need longer stopping distances and accelerate slowly; avoid passing them going downhill — wait for level ground.
If you cannot see the truck driver, the driver cannot see you.

6.3 Drivers and motorcycles (pp. 78–79)

A motorcycle is entitled to a full lane; never crowd into its lane.
Motorcycles can stop quicker than other vehicles, so allow extra following distance.
Motorcyclists: as a rule ride in the left wheel position; do not zig-zag between cars.

6.4 Drivers and bicycles (pp. 79–80)

Do not pass a bicycle going the same way unless there is enough space; when passing, leave at least one metre (three feet) of open space. Cross the yellow line if it is safe and there is no oncoming traffic.
Ellen's Law: failing to give a cyclist one metre is a Motor Vehicle Act offence (fine and demerit points).
Avoid driving or parking in bike lanes; look before opening car doors; check blind spot when turning.
Cyclists must follow the same rules of the road, ride in the same direction as traffic as close to the right as possible, not ride on sidewalks; riding without a helmet is against the law; bikes should have a headlight, reflectors and a horn or bell.

6.5 Drivers and pedestrians (p. 80)

Give pedestrians the right of way in a crosswalk unless a sign or signal says otherwise; never pass a vehicle that is yielding to a pedestrian at a crosswalk.
Give people with disabilities enough time to cross.
Pedestrians can be hidden behind the rear-view mirror, beside door pillars, at the sides, and in front of or behind the vehicle; do a circle check before starting.

6.6 Drivers and school buses (p. 81)

Alternating flashing amber lights come on 150 m (500 ft) before the bus stops for children.
Alternating flashing red lights are used while the bus is stopped loading or unloading.
Except on a road divided by a median, drivers meeting or following a stopped school bus must stop at least 5 metres away and wait until the red lights stop flashing. Passing a bus with flashing red lights is illegal.
School bus drivers need a B or C endorsement; school buses must stop at railway crossings unless otherwise indicated.

6.7 Drivers and emergency vehicles (pp. 81–82)

When an emergency vehicle approaches with siren and lights: pull over to the right and stop completely; yield at intersections.
It is an offence to follow an emergency vehicle within 150 metres (500 feet).
Stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights: slow down, proceed with caution, move over to the left away from it when safe; with two or more lanes, move into the other lane if safe. Failing to move over can mean a fine and demerit points.

6.8 Drivers and farm vehicles (pp. 82–83)

Three main farm-equipment crash types: rear-end collisions, intersection collisions where direction was hard to read, and overtaking a farm vehicle that is turning left.
Make sure the operator knows you intend to pass and the way is clear; be patient — equipment may not be able to move over.
Farm tractors and self-propelled implements on the highway must show a slow-moving vehicle sign on the rear (except when directly crossing).

6.9 Sharing the road with large trucks (pp. 83–85)

Tractor-trailer up to 49,500 kg; length may exceed 23 m; B-trains up to 25 m and 62,500 kg.
At 90 km/h a car stops in about 56 m; a loaded sleeper-cab tractor-trailer needs at least 60 m; a bobtail (no trailer) needs 56 m.
Average reaction time is three-quarters of a second; at 90 km/h a truck travels 18 m before braking begins.
A fully loaded combination at 90 km/h under ideal conditions travels 102 m in total before stopping; more with hot brakes.
Semi-trailers often swing left before turning right ("right turn squeeze"); watch the truck's signals before passing on the right.
Truck blind spots: directly in front, both sides of the cab, and up to 60 m behind. A long-hood tractor may not see the first 6 m in front; cab-overs up to 3 m.

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