BICYCLES & TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS
TIPS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVERS
R U L E S O F T H E R O A D
BICYCLES & TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS
A bicycle driver has all the rights and responsibilities applicable to the driver of any other vehicle except when specifically regulated by law or when certain regulations, by their nature, cannot apply to bicycles.
Bicycle drivers who violate traffic laws will be subject to the same penalties as drivers of motor vehicles, except that no penalty points shall be assessed against the bicyclist’ s driver’ s license.
If a bicycle driver is stopped for a traffic violation and the officer has reason to believe that the bicyclist will not appear in court or the officer is unsure of the bicyclist’ s identity, the officer may arrest the bicyclist and require the bicyclist to post bond.
TIPS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVERS
Motorists also have a responsibility to act in ways to make the roads safer for all users. Please consider the following points as you share the road with pedestrians and bicyclists. Scanning for pedestrians and bicyclists should be a normal part of your driving routine as is scanning for other cars and trucks. Extra care should be taken when exiting alleys and driveways since pedestrians and bicyclists may be using the sidewalk and approaching from your left and right.
When passing a bicyclist:
• Allow at least three feet between your vehicle and the bicycle. Just as the wind produced by a passing tractor-trailer can pull a car off course, so too can a passing car cause a cyclist to swerve out of control.
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• Be patient and wait until it is safe to pass, as you would any other slow-moving vehicle. Be aware that when a road is too narrow for cars and bikes to ride safely side by side, bicyclists should ride in or near the center of the lane to discourage motorists from trying to pass them without enough clearance.
Allow at least three feet when passing a bicyclist.
• If you feel that you must toot your horn in advance of passing, please do it from a friendly distance( several hundred feet), not from directly behind. You could startle them and they might veer into your path, causing an accident.
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