Rules Of The Road
What cyclists and motorists should know about sharing the streets
Now that we’ve covered how to behave on the trails, it’s time to tackle the roads.
I suspect many of you are at least a little intimidated by riding in traffic. Well, I’m here to tell you that while those fears are not entirely unreasonable, it is possible to ride on local roads safely. A few basic rules, some common sense, and a state of constant alertness will serve you well. I can't possibly cover everything you need to know here, but I'll cover some basics and point you toward some other sources of good information.
The first thing you have to get used to is the idea that bicycles have most of the same rights and responsibilities on the road that cars have. This means:
- You must obey all traffic signals and signs, just like a car.
- Stop at all stop signs and red lights
- Wait for the light to turn green before proceeding.
We’ve all seen bicyclists ignore these rules, and I’d wager we’ve all felt anger and frustration at such behavior. This sort of behavior is not just rude, I believe it creates even more friction between motorists and cyclists, something none of us need. More importantly, it is just plain dangerous. Running a red light or stop sign is a very good way to cause an accident, very likely with the cyclist getting the worst of the situation.
Road position and how to behave at intersections is an area of some confusion and misunderstanding among both cyclists and motorists. The law essentially says that cyclists must ride on the right hand side of the roadway, WITH the flow of traffic. Riding against traffic increases the effective speed of impact if you are hit by a car. For example, if the car is going 35 mph, and you’re going 10 mph, riding with traffic makes the effective impact 25 mph, while riding against traffic makes it 45mph. In addition, a cyclist riding against traffic approaches intersections from a direction motorists don’t expect, and are always in a more dangerous position than a cyclist riding with traffic.
The law also states that if a cyclist is riding at a speed that is less than the “normal speed of traffic” at a given time and place, they are required to ride as far to the right as is practicable*. That does NOT mean you must always hug the curb or ride in the gutter. If you are riding at the same speed as traffic around you (not hard in heavy, slow-moving traffic), you are allowed to “take the lane” and ride with motorists. If there are hazards near the edge of the road, you may ride further to the left as well.
Cyclists are also expected to obey turn lanes in the same manner as cars.
- When turning left, use a left turn lane when available, or position yourself on the left edge of the lane if there isn’t a turn lane.
- When passing straight through an intersection with a right turn lane, stay OUT of the right turn lane and use the through lane.
It takes a little getting used to -- taking your place in the road where you belong -- but it is ultimately the safest way to ride.
Finally, the law and common sense dictate that you must signal your intentions to other road users. Most of us have probably never used the hand signals we were taught in driver’s ed while driving, but they are useful and essential for a bicyclist.
- The standard hand signal for turning left is extending your left hand out fully, as if pointing, to the left.
- To signal a right turn, the “official” approach, based on automotive use, is to extend your left upper arm straight out, with your elbow bent such that your forearm is pointing straight up. From a practical standpoint, most cyclists find it easier and clearer to simply “mirror” the left turn signal, that is, extending the right arm out to the right to signal a right turn.
- The “stopping” or “slowing” signal, with the upper left arm straight out, forearm pointed down, is honestly not used that much by cyclists, but it’s a good one to know and use from time to time.
It takes some practice, and yes, a certain amount of courage to venture out on the roads for the first time, but it’s very often the best way to get where you need to go. Trails can only take you so many places, and if you want to use your bike for more than recreation (which I strongly urge), then you owe it to yourself to learn how to safely navigate the roads.
Some additional tips and information:
- VDOT has a page on traffic law specific to bicyclists.
- Washington Area Bicyclist Association has a wealth of information and also works for cyclists' rights in the region.
- John Allen has published a great booklet that is available online here.
Be alert, be safe, and have fun out there!
*This sentence has been edited to reflect the language of the traffic law.
Have you had any close calls on the road (from the bike or from a car)? Have more questions about sharing the road?
Tell us in the comments.
Geof Gee
12:09 pm on Monday, March 21, 2011
I agree with the sentiment Tim. That is, riding in a legal fashion lends itself to better interactions with all road users.
But given the often repeated "scofflaw" adjective applied to cyclists, I think that it is worthwhile to mention that road users tend to be rule breakers of some sort. Cyclists and drivers simply tend to break different rules. For instance, how many drivers -- or what percentage -- go faster than the speed limit on Lawyers or Beulah Roads? Speeding is dangerous for all road users and is associated with a high cost to society -- http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809915.pdf. Yet drivers seem to escape the "scofflaw" adjective.
David Whitmon
1:11 pm on Monday, March 21, 2011
I have to say that where ever I have ridden I've seen scofflaw motorists pulling ticketable offenses dozens and dozens of times an hour.
If there isn't a cop there, anything goes.
The above article says that cyclists when traveling slower than the speed of other vehicle operators around them, "they are required to ride as far to the right as is practical.
The law does not say required and it does not say practical.
It says "Bicyclists operating a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place under conditions then existing shall ride as close as safely practicable to the right curb or edge of roadway.
You wrote "practical". The law says "practicable." There is a difference.
It means as is written in the law that it is the cyclist who determines where they are to ride in the travel lane, not the motorists. Ride to close to the right hand side and you endanger your self to impatient motorists who try to pass when it is not safe to do so. You are opening your self up to be run off the road.
I control the lane. The term for it is "Vehicular Cycling."
Tim Fricker
11:36 pm on Monday, March 21, 2011
David - Thanks for your comment! I had originally written "practicable", but apparently in the editing process a spell-checker didn't recognize "practicable" and replaced it with "practical". It will be corrected shortly.
And thanks also for clarifying the nature of the risk involved with "hugging the curb". It's a situation those of us who cycle on the roads have often faced when we don't position ourselves correctly.
John Farrell
12:15 am on Saturday, March 26, 2011
Mr Whitmon - it is not the bicyclist or the motorist who decides "practicable" but the police officer, judge or jury.
The assumption to make as you proceed down the lane is that the vast majority of them are not avid cyclers.
Put differently, will your action look reasonable to a disinterested third party.
Be safe.
Dee Mueller
3:06 pm on Monday, March 21, 2011
I would love to read the article regarding cyclists and pedestrians/joggers. If you are a walker on the W & O "bike" trail you best be very careful. The cyclists will run you off the road. They will ride two abreat and will pass you from behind very close with no warning. I have had them say "on your left" and then try to pass me on my right once they confront traffic ahead. I have little or no sympathy for cyclists. Many of them rarely apologize and they can't tolerate someone warning them of their unsafe behavior. If I walk on the bike trail my Blood pressure rises, so I walk elsewhere.
Tim Fricker
11:39 pm on Monday, March 21, 2011
Dee -
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I address these issues in my earlier column, but I have to say, there is plenty of blame to go around when it comes to trail behavior. Walkers accuse cyclists of rude and dangerous behavior such as you describe, but I assure you, every cyclist who uses the trails can tell you stories of walkers, runners, rollerbladers, etc, who have behaved badly and put them in jeopardy. We can and should all do better to look out for one another out there.
Erica R. Hendry
4:11 pm on Monday, March 21, 2011
Dee,
You can access the article by following the link in the first sentence of this article.
I also pulled the link for you here: http://vienna.patch.com/articles/rules-of-the-trail
Thanks for reading,
Erica
S McCall
10:01 am on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tim, thanks for the great series of articles. Its worth mentioning a key hazard to cyclists that makes it smart to "take the lane" if there are any parked cars at all - the risk of a car door being opened without warning.
Tim Fricker
12:01 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sean-
Excellent point! Getting "doored" is one of the great hazards of bicycling. And unfortunately, many striped bike lanes put riders right in the "door zone". Be aware and constantly visualize how far a door can swing out, and what you will do if it happens.
Phil Ingrassia
11:50 am on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Good advice on watching out for car doors -- I ride, but I was in a car when a cyclist hit my door. Several years ago, my wife dropped me off for a meeting downtown -- I opened my door (on the passenger side) and a cyclist riding between traffic lanes hit my door. He was very upset and wanted me to admit fault. The guy wouldn't even get up off the ground and was berating me. I quickly called a lawyer buddy, who bikes to work each day, and he told me to call the police. Turns out, since the cyclist was clearly riding between traffic lanes, he got a traffic citation.
A couple of ambulance chaser lawyers who saw the police report contact me . . . to sue the cyclist! I declined.
Laura B.
12:39 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The car door issue is a big one for cyclists!
I've been known to reprove teenagers and children who aren't wearing bike helmets, and the usual reply is "I'm a very good rider and I never fall, so I don't need a helmet." I use the car door issue to help them understand that lack of cycling skills is not the cause of many serious accidents.
Bruce Wright
2:38 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Good articles on Rules of the Road and trail. As you said in an earlier comment, most cyclists have many stories about other non-cycling trail users who behave in a dangerous way. But I'm the first to admit that many cyclists do the same. As the trail is getting more heavily used this year I see many faster road cyclists riding very dangerously. The trail is not a place to train and yet it's very common on weekends to see road cyclists, some using aero handlebars, going too fast for conditions.
That's why this article is important. Those faster cyclists should be on the road. If they don't think it's safe to ride on the road, it's probably because they never learned how to do it properly. The League of American Bicyclists had developed a good bicycle skills class called Traffic Skills 101. WABA and Fairfax Adult and Community Education both offer this class. WABA will be scheduling their classes soon:
http://www.waba.org/education/calendar.php
and ACE is holding two TS101 classes in April:
https://aceclasses.fcps.edu/CourseDetails.aspx?AreaID=10389&AreaName=&CourseID=4050860f-3ca8-4431-bd7c-56525a50eccf&ProgramID=191&CategoryID=10254&IsCourse=1