Road Rights For Cyclists

Salam Gunakanta Singh *

Manipur Cycle Club's Critical Mass II on May 29 2011 :: Pix - Manipur Cycle Club

It Is High Time To Discuss About Our Rights, As Well As Our Responsibilities Of A Cyclists. Our "Rights" To Use The Road.

Specifically, Our State:
First, Road Infrastructure Is Usually Biased Towards The Automobile, And Often Fails To Take Cyclists Into Account At All. Even Though It Is Legal To Ride On Most Roads, The More Biased Towards Automobile Traffic The Road Infrastructure Is, The More Intimidating The Road Will Feel To All But The Most Intrepid Of Cyclists

Second, Our Laws Are Usually Biased Towards Motorists. Consider, For Example, The Driver Who Passes Dangerously Close To A Cyclist, And Injures Or Kills The Cyclist. In Too Many States, The Motorist Will At Most Be Ticketed For A Relatively Minor Offense, Like Making An Unsafe Pass. And That Only Happens When An Officer Is Concerned Enough To Write A Ticket.

When A Motorist Is Severely Injured Or Killed In A Traffic "Accident," The Circumstances Are Usually So Extreme That Serious Charges May Be Filed. But All It Takes To Injure Or Kill A Cyclist Is A Moment's Inattention, A Bit Of Bad Judgment, A Careless Act. An "Accident."

The Message Sent To Drivers And Cyclists Alike Is That Our Lives Are Worth Little To Nothing. People Ask, Subtly Shifting The Blame From The Careless Driver To His Victim. In Contrast,

In Countries Where Cyclists' Lives Are Valued, The Law Places The Burden Of Safety Where It Belongs—On The Driver. This Makes The Roads Safer For Cyclists And Drivers Alike, And Is One Factor In Getting More People On Bikes.

Third, Too Many Motorists, Including Many Law Enforcement Officers, Have Only Vague Notions Of What The Laws On Bicycling Are. They May, For Example, Think You Are Breaking The Law By Riding On The Road Instead Of The Sidewalk, Or By Taking The Lane. This Confusion Raises The Hostility Level Of Motorists, And Too Often Results In Unjust Law Enforcement By Officers Who Aren't Really Sure What The Law Is.

Finally, Many Motorists Feel Entitled To Threaten Us, And Even Jeopardize Our Lives, With Hostile And Aggressive Behavior, Simply Because They Do Not Believe That We Have Any Right To Use The Roads.

We Can Change That Hostile Environment. We Can Make Our Infrastructure More User-Friendly For Cyclists And Pedestrians. We Can Do A Better Job Of Protecting All Road Users With Our Laws, And We Can Do A Better Job Of Educating Everybody On The Law. By Making Our Roads Safer, More People Will Ride, And With More People Riding, Our Roads Will Become Safer Still. When Bicycling Is A Safe, Normal, Accepted Use Of The Roads, We'll Be One Step Closer To Addressing The Physical Inactivity Crisis That Is Affecting The Health Of So Many People.

American Legal Rights for a Cyclist on Road Most North American jurisdictions have traffic rules based on the Uniform Vehicle Code and Model Traffic Ordinance (UVCMTO, usually simply called the Uniform Vehicle Code or UVC), a standard set of traffic laws published by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances (www.ncutlo.org), a professional organization that includes a broad spectrum of traffic safety experts. The 2000 UVC states, "Every person propelling a vehicle by human power or riding a bicycle shall have all of the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under chapters 10 and 11, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application."

The League of American Cyclists maintains the State Bike Laws Center (www.bikeleague.org/action/bikelaws/state_laws.php) which provides links to bicycle traffic laws in each U.S. state. Although some details vary, most state and provincial traffic laws include the following provisions:
i) The right to ride a bicycle on any public road, street, or bikeway except where specifically prohibited, such as on limited access highways.
ii) The responsibility to obey all relevant traffic laws and regulations.
iii) The responsibility to use hand signals to let people know you plan stop or turn. Many states allow cyclists to use their right hand to signal right turns.
iv) Cyclists riding two abreast shall not impede normal traffic movement.
v) The responsibility to have adequate brakes, and suitable lighting and reflectors when riding at night.
vi) Some states require bicyclists to use an adjacent pathway if available, but these are opposed by cyclists who want the right to decide whether or not to use a facility. vii) Some jurisdictions require bicyclists to wear helmets (some just children).
viii) The responsibility of property owners to eliminate potential hazards such as plants or moveable object that may block the view of drivers, pedestrians or bicyclists on a road.

There is sometimes debate concerning cyclists' right to use traffic lanes. Many people have the impression that cyclists are required by law to ride as far to the right side of the roadway as possible to avoid delaying motorized traffic. Although it is true that bicycles are often slower than other vehicles, and slower vehicles are often required to right to the right side of the roadway, the legal requirements are more complex and include many exceptions.