Road-rule practice: Sharing-road priority

An authorized emergency vehicle immediately approaches using its emergency lights and siren. No officer gives different directions. Where should you yield?

Correct answer: Move as close as possible to the right edge, clear of an intersection, and stop until it passes.

With the specified emergency lights and audible warning, other drivers must yield, move parallel and close to the right edge clear of an intersection, and remain stopped until the vehicle passes unless an officer directs otherwise.

Source: R.I. General Laws § 31-17-6 — Yielding to emergency vehicle; subsection (a), lights plus audible signal and officer exception; official legislature HTML text read October 1, 2026. ↗

You plan to turn across a bicycle lane. A person on a bicycle is continuing along that lane toward your turning path. What should you do?

Correct answer: Yield to the rider before crossing the bicycle lane.

A driver crossing or turning across a bicycle lane must yield to a bicycle or motorized-wheelchair user in that lane. A turn signal does not transfer that right-of-way.

Source: R.I. General Laws § 31-17-9 — Yielding to riders on bicycle lane; subsection (a); official legislature HTML text read October 1, 2026. ↗

Traffic is slow, and you want to drive straight ahead along a bicycle lane to reach the next intersection sooner. You are not turning or entering or leaving the roadway or parking lane. Is that allowed?

Correct answer: No; ordinary queue-bypassing travel is not one of the permitted uses.

The motor-vehicle exceptions concern turns, entering or leaving the roadway or parking lane, and official-duty use. They do not permit an ordinary driver to use a bicycle lane as a through-traffic shortcut.

Source: R.I. General Laws § 31-15-17 — Crossing bicycle lane; subsection (a), allowed uses and exceptions; official legislature HTML text read October 1, 2026. ↗

Registered fire apparatus is pulling out of a fire station across your path. What should you do?

Correct answer: Give it right-of-way rather than obstruct its exit.

The section expressly grants registered fire apparatus right-of-way when entering or exiting a fire station or other department facility. Do not obstruct that movement.

Source: R.I. General Laws § 31-17-7 — Right-of-way of fire companies; first paragraph, entering or exiting facilities; official legislature HTML text read October 1, 2026. ↗