Basic Applicable Laws For Bicycle Riders

Safety in bicycle riding involves more than having proper cycling gears and equipment or maintaining your bike’s working condition; you must also learn some of the laws governing bicycle riding.

Safe bicycling begins with knowing the laws and obeying them. Eventually, in case of an accident, knowledge of these laws can help and protect you.

Bike rules are often incorporated with the state’s vehicle code, which is a set of laws governing all vehicles. Under the California vehicle code, for example, bicycle users have ‘all the rights and is subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, including the provisions of law dealing with driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs’.

Similarly, under the same rules, no one is allowed to ride a bicycle unless proper requirements are met. These include:

1. Brakes which will enable you (operator) to make braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.


2. Handlebars raised to elevate your hands above the level of your shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.


3. Size that can enable you to place it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner.


4. During darkness, a rider needs the following:


• A lamp emitting a white light visible from a distance of 300 feet to the front and the sides of the bicycle.


• A red reflector mounted on the rear of the bicycle and visible from 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle.


• A white or yellow reflector mounted on each pedal visible 200 feet to the front and rear of the bicycle and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle


5. A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle

Road Duties of a Bicycle User

Bicycle users must travel according to the speed and direction of the moving traffic. When they travel at the slower rate, they must ride as close as possible to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except under the following conditions:

1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or motor vehicle proceeding in the same direction.


2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.


3. When it is necessary to leave the lane to avoid debris or other hazardous conditions

On the other hand, bicycle riders on a one-way street or highway with two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of such roadway as practicable.

When riding a bicycle, the following acts are not permitted:

• Hitch riding or attaching the bicycle to any streetcar or vehicle


• To ride using a temporary, movable, or detachable seat.


• Allow anyone to ride as a passenger other than on a separate attached seat. If the passenger is four years old or younger or weighs 40 pounds or less, the seat shall adequately retain the passenger in place and protect him/her from the bicycle's moving parts.


• Carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the operator from keeping at least one hand upon the handlebars.


• Leave a bicycle lying on its side on any sidewalk, or shall park a bicycle on a sidewalk in any other position, so that there is not an adequate path for pedestrian traffic. Local authorities may prohibit bicycle parking in designated areas of the public highway, provided appropriate signs are erected.


• Impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of any bicyclist on a bikeway or bicycle path or trail unless the placement or parking is necessary for safe operation or otherwise in compliance with the law.

Sometimes, the Department of Transportation and local authorities may also prohibit or restrict the use of freeways or toll crossings. Bikers will be notified of these restrictions through warning signs that will be put in place or announced by the agency.

A city or county may also adopt a bicycle licensing ordinance or resolution to protect bicycle riders and users on any street, road, highway, or other public property within the city or county.

Bicyclists share a complex traffic environment with other larger forms of transportation. Rules are definitely created to help and protect them when the need arises. Hence, in case of an accident, it is important to get the services of a lawyer who has experience in handling bicycle accidents.

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