Skip to content
AB
← Back to practice

Practice session

Sharing the road

Loading…

Every question on this page

The whole pool, with the answer and the explanation for each one. Practise first, then read through anything you were unsure of.

Show all 18 questions with answers

  1. 1 of 18 · Sharing the road

    Who does Alberta law require to wear an approved bicycle safety helmet?

    • A.Cyclists and bicycle passengers under 18 years of ageAnswer
    • B.Only cyclists riding on a highway
    • C.Only children under 12
    • D.Nobody; helmets are only recommended

    Explanation: Any cyclist or bicycle passenger under 18 years of age must wear an approved bicycle safety helmet.

  2. 2 of 18 · Sharing the road

    A person is walking beside a bicycle and pushing it across the road. How should you treat them?

    • A.As a pedestrianAnswer
    • B.As a vehicle driver
    • C.As someone who must yield to all traffic

    Explanation: A cyclist who walks beside and pushes a bicycle is a pedestrian and gets the same protection as any pedestrian. Once they ride it, the bicycle is a vehicle and the rider follows the rules of the road.

  3. 3 of 18 · Sharing the road

    How should you pass a cyclist riding near the right curb?

    • A.Change lanes, just as you would to pass any other vehicleAnswer
    • B.Stay in your lane and squeeze past the cyclist
    • C.Sound your horn so the cyclist moves onto the shoulder, then pass

    Explanation: A bicycle being ridden is a vehicle. To pass a cyclist, change lanes as you would for any other vehicle, and remember cyclists may need to move out from the curb to avoid grates, potholes or debris.

  4. 4 of 18 · Sharing the road

    You are parked at the curb and want to open your door. Who is responsible for making sure it is safe?

    • A.You, the driver: check for cyclists and wait until it is safeAnswer
    • B.Passing cyclists, who must leave room for opening doors
    • C.Nobody, as long as your hazard lights are on

    Explanation: Before opening a door on the traffic side, check for cyclists. It is the driver’s responsibility to wait until it is safe; a door opened in a cyclist’s path can cause a serious crash.

  5. 5 of 18 · Sharing the road

    A motorcycle ahead of you is riding in the left portion of its lane. What does this usually mean?

    • A.The rider is making the motorcycle easier to see; it does not mean a left turnAnswer
    • B.The rider is about to turn left
    • C.The rider is inviting you to share the right half of the lane

    Explanation: Riders often use the left part of the lane to be more visible. It is not a turn signal — watch for a shoulder check or signal instead — and never share a lane with a motorcycle: the rider needs the whole lane.

  6. 6 of 18 · Sharing the road

    You are following a large truck. How can you tell you are too close?

    • A.You cannot see both of its side mirrorsAnswer
    • B.You can read its licence plate
    • C.You can see the driver in its side mirror

    Explanation: Large vehicles have large blind spots. If you cannot see both side mirrors of the vehicle ahead, the driver cannot see you and you are too close. If you can see the driver in a side mirror, the driver can see you.

  7. 7 of 18 · Sharing the road

    You are following a commercial vehicle carrying passengers or dangerous goods toward a railway crossing. What should you expect?

    • A.It may stop at the crossing even if no train is coming, so be ready to stopAnswer
    • B.It will speed up to clear the tracks quickly
    • C.It will pull onto the shoulder so you can pass it before the crossing

    Explanation: Law or company policy can require vehicles carrying passengers or dangerous goods, such as buses and fuel tankers, to stop at every railway crossing. Leave room and be prepared to stop behind them.

  8. 8 of 18 · Sharing the road

    A school bus ahead has its alternating red lights flashing and its stop sign extended. How far away should you stop?

    • A.About 20 metresAnswer
    • B.About 5 metres
    • C.About 50 metres
    • D.About 2 metres

    Explanation: Come to a full stop about 20 metres — 4 to 5 car lengths — from the bus. That gap lets drivers behind you see the flashing lights and the students crossing.

  9. 9 of 18 · Sharing the road

    On a highway divided by a median, you are driving toward a school bus that has stopped on the other side with its red lights flashing. What should you do?

    • A.Proceed with caution and watch for pedestrians; only traffic behind the bus must stopAnswer
    • B.Stop, because traffic in both directions must always stop
    • C.Speed up to get past before students cross

    Explanation: On a highway divided by a median, only vehicles behind the school bus must stop; oncoming traffic may proceed with caution, watching for pedestrians. On an undivided highway, every lane in both directions must stop.

  10. 10 of 18 · Sharing the road

    On a winter highway you see flashing amber and red lights ahead. What do they most likely mean?

    • A.A snowplow is aheadAnswer
    • B.A school bus is loading students
    • C.A funeral procession is crossing
    • D.A railway crossing has closed

    Explanation: Snowplows carry flashing amber and red lights to be seen in blowing snow. Stay well back at the minimum following distance posted on the plow, and do not pass when the view along its side is blocked or passing cannot be done safely.

  11. 11 of 18 · Sharing the road

    At a railway crossing with only a crossing sign, you must stop when a visible or signalling train is approaching within what distance?

    • A.500 metresAnswer
    • B.100 metres
    • C.150 metres
    • D.50 metres

    Explanation: A railway crossing sign means yield to all trains. Stop when a train is visible or sounding a signal and is within 500 metres — about 5 city blocks — of the crossing. Never try to outrace a train.

  12. 12 of 18 · Sharing the road

    A railway crossing also has a stop sign. Where must you stop?

    • A.Between 5 metres and 15 metres from the nearest railAnswer
    • B.Right at the first rail
    • C.Between 30 metres and 50 metres from the nearest rail

    Explanation: A stop sign at a railway crossing means a complete stop between 5 metres and 15 metres from the nearest rail. Do not go on until you are sure no train is approaching.

  13. 13 of 18 · Sharing the road

    Your vehicle stalls on a railway crossing and a train is coming. What should you do?

    • A.Get everyone out at once and move away from the tracks, toward the direction the train is coming fromAnswer
    • B.Keep everyone inside and try to restart the engine
    • C.Get out and run along the tracks away from the train

    Explanation: Get everyone out and away from the track immediately. If a train is coming, move well away from the vehicle and, if possible, toward the direction the train is approaching from, so you are not hit by flying debris when it strikes the vehicle.

  14. 14 of 18 · Sharing the road

    In an emergency, how far may an LRT train in Calgary or Edmonton need to stop?

    • A.Up to 100 metresAnswer
    • B.About 10 metres
    • C.About 20 metres

    Explanation: Because of its weight and speed, an LRT train may need up to 100 metres to stop in an emergency, and its electric power makes it very quiet. Treat every LRT warning — signals, signs, bells or gates — as stop, and never drive around the gates.

  15. 15 of 18 · Sharing the road

    On a two-way road, an ambulance with its siren sounding is coming from behind. What should you do?

    • A.Move as close as possible to the right curb or edge and stop until it has passedAnswer
    • B.Speed up to stay ahead of it
    • C.Stop immediately in your lane, wherever you are
    • D.Move into the left lane to let it pass on the right

    Explanation: Yield to an ambulance, fire or police vehicle sounding a siren from any direction: pull as close as possible to the right curb or edge of a two-way road (the nearest curb on a one-way street), stop until it has passed, and check for others before moving on.

  16. 16 of 18 · Sharing the road

    On a highway posted at 100 km/h, you are about to pass a tow truck stopped on the shoulder with its lights flashing. What is your maximum speed in the lane next to it?

    • A.60 km/hAnswer
    • B.80 km/h
    • C.90 km/h
    • D.100 km/h

    Explanation: When passing emergency vehicles or tow trucks stopped with lights flashing, slow to 60 km/h or the posted limit, whichever is lower, in the lane immediately next to them. Speeding fines there are doubled.

  17. 17 of 18 · Sharing the road

    What is the minimum distance you should keep behind an emergency vehicle that has its siren or lights operating?

    • A.150 metresAnswer
    • B.50 metres
    • C.20 metres
    • D.2 seconds

    Explanation: Always yield to emergency vehicles with a siren or lights operating, and stay at least 150 metres behind them. They may stop suddenly, and crews need room to work.

  18. 18 of 18 · Sharing the road

    At what times of day should you be especially watchful for animals on the road?

    • A.At dusk and dawnAnswer
    • B.In the middle of the day
    • C.Only in the middle of the night

    Explanation: Animals are most active at dusk and dawn. Scan the sides of the road, watch for eyes reflecting your headlights, and remember that one animal is often followed by more.