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Bicycling Safety for Drivers
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2 Rules of the Road
The following provides a discussion of the traffic laws that apply to
both drivers and cyclists, from the perspective of a driver.
Drivers have several specific responsibilities towards
cyclists. The basic rules that apply to drivers can be summarized
as follows.
- When passing, drivers must give cyclists a sufficient amount of clearance
(we recommend 3 to 5 feet as a minimum value).
- Drivers must stay out of a bike lane, except when crossing it or
parking within it. To cross a bike lane or park, a driver must
first merge into the bike lane, and may merge in within 200 feet
of the driver's turn.
- Drivers must yield to bicycles when bicycles have the right-of-way.
The same rules apply to bicycles as apply to any other vehicle.
A description of the laws in some states is available by visiting the links in
the following table:
The main thing to keep in mind is that cyclists have the same rights as drivers,
and may under some circumstances have to use a full traffic lane. Bicycles may
also have to avoid hazards that would not cause a problem for a motor vehicle,
and it is therefore wise to provide cyclists with ample clearance. If passing
safely is not immediately possible, you can simply wait a short while until it
is safe to pass. In heavy traffic, this "delay" will simply result in arriving
at the line of cars at the next traffic light a bit later, with no real loss
in travel time.
