Tips for Motorists  Motorcycle Awareness Laws for Motorcycle/Moped  Motorcycle and moped drivers have  the same rights and duties as drivers of  motor vehicles. Riders committing traffic  violations may receive citations.  42  ©2020 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles  • Maintain more than a four-second  buffer zone between you and  a motorcyclist, and increase  space when encountering these  conditions: inclement weather,  gusty winds, wet or icy roads, bad  road conditions such as potholes,  gravel roads, and railroad crossings.  • When your vehicle is being passed  by a motorcycle, maintain your  lane position. Do not increase your  speed.  • Never pass a motorcyclist with only  a few feet of space. The force of the  wind gust can cause the rider to lose  control.  • Motorcyclists ofen slow down by  down-shifing or rolling off the  throttle, thus not activating the  brake light. • Do not follow too closely behind  a motorcycle; remember that  motorcycles have the ability to stop  more quickly than other vehicles.  • It is difficult to gauge the speed of  a motorcycle because they take up  less field of vision which interferes  with depth perception. They may  appear to be much farther away  than they really are.  • Watch for motorcycles and look  carefully before pulling into an  intersection or changing lanes.  • You must never attempt to share  the lane with a motorcycle. The  motorcyclist is entitled to the entire  lane.  • You must be 16 years of age or older  to operate a motorcycle or moped  on a public road.  • If under 18, you must hold a  learner’s license for 12 months with  no moving violation convictions  prior to the issuance of a Motorcycle  Only license.  • Operators of motorcycles must  complete an approved motorcycle  safety course and get a motorcycle  endorsement on their driver license  or a Motorcycle Only license.  • Operators of mopeds must have the  minimum of a Class E driver license.  No motorcycle endorsement is  required.  • Operators of motorcycles must  wear a helmet unless they are over  the age of 21 AND carry a medical  insurance policy providing for at  least $10,000 in medical benefits for  injuries.  • Motorcycles and mopeds:  ◆ must be registered annually and  have the proper tag; and  ◆ must not be operated on bicycle  paths or foot paths.  • Operators of Motorcycles and  mopeds do not have to carry  Personal Injury Protection (PIP)  insurance. 