Many – and when I say many, I mean many – years ago, I was driving my dad to work (because I wanted to be able to use his Honda Accord to drive to school, of course) when, as I passed through a green light, I was screamed at by a college student on her bike who wanted to turn left in front of me.
“You have to stop for me!!!” she yelled.
In fact, she was wrong. She clearly didn’t know the rules of the road for cyclists: you essentially have the same rules as a car.
She mistakenly thought a pedestrian and a bicyclist were the same.
They are not.
In fact, she was supposed to yield to me.
I wonder if she ever figured out the correct rule. Did she feel bad about screaming at me?
I guess I’ll never know. But I did get to drive my dad’s car to school that day.
For cars, there are a handful of laws mostly surrounding the distance you keep from bikes when passing them on the road. The norm is this:
“Drivers passing a bicycle must pass with a space of 3 feet between the motor vehicle and the bicycle.”
For bicyclists, the law mostly pertains to whether or not a particular state has a helmet law. Surprisingly, many don’t.
In Alaska for example, operators of bicycles must obey the motor vehicle laws. Cyclists must ride with traffic. And, there is no helmet requirement.
You can find out the laws for your state here: https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/bicycles/
In Maryland for another example, the Driver’s Manual says, “By Maryland law, bicycles are vehicles. Bicyclists are authorized users of the roadway and have rights-of-way and the same duty to obey all traffic signals as motorists.”
I think it is safe to say that bicyclists and drivers have a few additional laws they’d like to see enacted. We have to share the roadway, after all.
#howmanytimeshaveyouseenabicyclistrunthestopsign
According to John Rennie Short in an article for The Conversation, “Across the nation, cyclist fatalities have increased by 25 percent since 2010 and pedestrian deaths have risen by a staggering 45 percent. More people are being killed because cities are encouraging residents to walk and bike, but their roads are still dominated by fast-moving vehicular traffic. As my research has shown, this shifting mix can be deadly.”
At the end of the day, the goal is for EVERYONE to get home safely.
According to the NHTSA, “For drivers, sharing the road begins with understanding that bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as you.
“Treat bicyclists as you would other drivers and be as aware of them in traffic as you are of vehicles. Pass bicyclists as you would vehicles—when it’s safe to move over into an adjacent lane. Give them sufficient room. Do not pass too closely.”
And…
“Just like vehicle drivers, bicyclists must obey street signs, signals, and road markings. Always ride with traffic. Ride defensively, assuming others cannot see you. Ride attentively by never allowing yourself to be distracted by music, an electronic device, or anything else that takes your eyes off the road.” Good advice for drivers too, I’d say.
Honestly, bicyclists don’t get me as riled up as many other things on the roads. But remember:
Same roads. Same rules. Same rights.
Resources:
The Conversation – US: Why US cities are becoming more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians
Bike League | American Bicycling Education Association
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration – Share the Road
A Guide for Drivers and Bicyclists to Properly Share the Road
Have I mentioned how much I love AAA? This Share the Road pdf is excellent!
Kansas has quite a unique guideline/law!
I would never want to hit or harm a bicyclist, but sometimes they don’t exercise good judgment when it comes to choosing which roads they ride solo on. Curvy, heavily trafficked two lane roads with no shoulder on either side is just a bad choice for recreational users. Regardless of whether or not they have rights.