A car driver has one choice: stay in the lane. A motorcyclist has three. State motorcycle manuals divide each lane into three paths of travel, left, center and right, often numbered 1, 2 and 3. Choosing among them is one of the core skills the knowledge test checks.
What a good lane position does
Manuals list the goals your lane position should serve:
- help you see, and be seen
- keep you out of other drivers' blind spots
- protect your lane from drivers trying to share it
- communicate your intentions
- help you avoid wind blasts from other vehicles
- leave you an escape route
Related: What to Expect on the Motorcycle Permit Knowledge Test
There is no single "best" position
This trips people up on the test. Manuals say plainly that there is no one best lane position. The right choice is the one that gives you the most visibility and the most space right now, and it changes as traffic changes.
Some patterns the manuals do give:
- Hazards on your left? Move toward the center or right portion of the lane.
- Vehicles on both sides? The center of the lane is usually best.
- Following a vehicle? Ride where the driver can see you in their mirrors. The center position usually puts you in their inside rearview mirror and discourages others from squeezing into your lane.
- Passing parked cars? Favor the left portion of the lane, away from opening doors and people stepping out, unless oncoming traffic makes the center safer.
- Approaching a blind intersection? Move to the position that brings you into a cross-street driver's view as early as possible.
The oily strip
Oil and fluids drip from vehicles and collect down the center of each lane. Manuals describe this strip as usually no more than two feet wide, so you can ride just to either side of it and still be in the center portion of the lane. It's most slippery when rain first begins. When the pavement is wet, riding in a car's tire tracks is often the better choice.
Following distance for motorcycles
Motorcycles need as much distance to stop as other vehicles. The state manuals built on the national model generally teach a two-second minimum following distance, opening to three seconds or more on slippery pavement, at night, in heavy traffic, or when you can't see past the vehicle ahead.
How it shows up on the test
Expect scenario questions: a car is parked on your right, a truck is to your left, a driver ahead is braking. Pick the position that increases space and visibility. If an answer claims one position is "always" best, it's usually wrong.