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Variability of state bicycle laws
http://www.bicycledriving.com/trafficlaw.htm
Updated to 2006. here is just snippet: Bicycle-Specific Considerations in General Driving Rules All the general rules for driving vehicles apply to bicycles. There are very few bicycle-specific rules that are necessary. There are only a few sections of the general traffic rules that need to be revised to take bicycles into account. In fact, several states (AR, IN, IA, KY, NC) have hardly any statutes that apply exclusively to bicycles. Right Turn Hand Signal The standard hand signals for stopping and turning assume that the operator is seated on the left side of an enclosed vehicle and therefore can only use the left hand to signal. However, either hand of a cyclist or motorcyclist can be seen by other drivers. For the past 50 years, almost all motor vehicles have been equipped with automatic turn signals. Most people are not familiar with the standard hand signals, especially a right turn signal made with the left hand. Pointing right with the right arm is much more easily understood by all. Ironically, the only drivers who regularly use hand signals any more are cyclists. So far 23 states have changed their statutes to permit cyclists to make a right turn signal with the right hand. The most recent was Colorado (2005). Cyclists can make a stopping signal with either hand; the law should also permit it. A right-hand stopping signal is more effective and more visible when the cyclist is at the left side of a traffic lane, for example when riding on the left side of a one-way street. Recommendation: Permit cyclists to signal a right turn with the right arm and a stop with either arm. Continuous Signal When automatic turn signals became common, a requirement to signal continuously in advance of the turn was added to the UVC. Most states have adopted some version of this requirement, specifying 100 to 300 feet as the continuous signal distance. A few still have older language that does not require a continuous signal. For example, Kentucky requires all drivers to signal "intermittently for the last fifty feet traveled by the vehicle before the turn." While it is inconvenient for a motorist to make a continuous hand signal for 300 feet, it can be dangerous as well as inconvenient for a cyclist to do so, since both hands are needed for steering or braking. So far 24 states have either explicitly exempted cyclists from the continuous signal requirement or have never adopted the requirement. Recommendation: If there is a requirement for continuous signaling, exempt cyclists from it. Sidewalk Use A person who walks a bike is considered a pedestrian in all jurisdictions. Although cyclists traveling at normal speeds are virtually always safer on the roadway than on the sidewalk, there are a few circumstances where sidewalk bicycling might be permitted. Outside of business districts, slow sidewalk cycling is reasonably safe and is convenient to let the cyclist go half a block on a one-way street. Pre-teen cyclists ought to be permitted (but not required) to use the sidewalk, at least in residential areas. Some states have a rule that prohibits drivers from using sidewalks. This rule should exempt cyclists, at least in the specific situations described above. The following states include "bicycle" in the definition of "vehicle" and prohibit vehicle use of sidewalks: Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, and North Dakota. Arguably, all sidewalk cycling is unlawful in those states. At least 22 states explicitly permit bicycling on the sidewalks, usually with exceptions. In most of the other states, sidewalk bicycling is implicitly permitted since there is no general prohibition against driving vehicles on sidewalks. Sidewalk bicycling may be prohibited by signs or local ordinances. In Maryland and Wisconsin, sidewalk bicycling is not permitted unless a local government adopts an ordinance allowing it. Sidewalk bicycling is restricted to areas outside business districts in Alaska, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. Hawaii permits sidewalk bicycling only at speeds less than 10 mph. Of the 22 states that explicitly permit bicycling on sidewalks, 12 specify that sidewalk cyclists have the rights and duties of pedestrians. Recommendation: Sidewalk cycling should be permitted, but not required, outside of business districts. Cyclists on the sidewalk should have the rights and duties of pedestrians but should also be required to yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk. Manner of Making Left Turns Cyclists and motorcyclists do not occupy the entire width of a travel lane. The rule for making a left turn should specify that the turn is to be made from the left-most portion of the road available for traffic in that direction, not merely the left-most lane available for traffic in that direction, unless left turn only lanes are designated. Following Too Closely The standard language in the Uniform Vehicle Code on following too closely ("tailgating"), if applied to bicycles, could be interpreted as prohibiting cyclists from riding in a pace line, where by common consent cyclists travel close enough to be sheltered from the wind. Not all states have adopted the tailgating rule. In many states the rule explicitly applies to "motor vehicles," not "vehicles." Regardless of the definition of vehicle, this rule should be rewritten to explicitly say that it applies to "drivers of motor vehicles." Nine states have adopted a version of the statute that applies to all vehicles and includes bicycles in the definition of vehicle. These states are Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming. It could be argued that drafting is unlawful in these states. Parking on Sidewalks Many states have adopted statewide parking rules that prohibit parking on sidewalks. In states where bicycles are considered vehicles, this prohibition applies to bicycles. Only a few states have specifically exempted bicycles from this requirement. Several states have statutes explicitly permitting parking bicycles on sidewalks, generally with the restriction that parked bicycles are not to block pedestrian flow. States should permit parking bicycles on sidewalks, with reasonable restrictions, as in the current version of the UVC. Racing Rules Some states have a rule prohibiting racing that is so broadly written that it could be construed to apply to any cyclists riding hard in a group. These rules should be modified so that they apply only to motor vehicles, not all vehicles. Special rules for bicycle racing should apply only to events in which the participants are allowed to violate the traffic laws. In this case, as in all similar cases of special use of highways, special permits are required. Impeding Traffic Some states have statutes prohibiting drivers from impeding traffic. These statutes should be written so that they apply only to motor vehicles, not to all vehicles. Otherwise, a broad version of this rule could be wrongly interpreted as prohibiting operation of bicycles or horse-drawn wagons whenever following drivers might be inconvenienced. Slow-Moving Vehicle Rule |
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Variability of state bicycle laws
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