Which Side of the Road?
Question
Rachel asked: I was riding north on the southbound side of the bridge. I feel safer because I can see the cars coming towards me. I got stopped and was told I had to ride on the northbound. What is the law on which side of the road to ride?
Answer
Cyclists are operating vehicles and are required to travel in the same direction as other drivers when in the roadway.
s. 316.2065 – Bicycle Regulations
(1) Every person propelling a vehicle by human power has all of the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle….
s. 316.081 Driving on Right Side of Roadway; Exceptions
(1) Upon all roadways of sufficient width, a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway….
There are many reasons for the laws as they are written. It has been well documented that it is much safer to be traveling in the same direction as other traffic. Drivers do not expect to see vehicles coming toward them on the right and do not have as much time to react. Riding against traffic is particularly dangerous at intersections and driveways. Signs and signals may not be visible. Drivers preparing to enter the roadway frequently do not look to the right.
The relative closure rate for a bicyclist traveling at 15 mph and a motor vehicle at 35 mph in the same direction is 20 mph. If traveling in opposite directions, the closure rate is 50 mph.
Even though cyclists on sidewalks are not required to ride in the same direction as roadway traffic , the same hazards (And many others) are present.
Look at it this way too…
What if I’m riding my bike southbound, while you’re riding north on the southbound side….
How do we pass each other? Especially if there is no bike lane.
Think about how dangerous that is..
FYI… This happens to me CONSTANTLY.
It’s so incredibly dangerous. I can not tell you enough..
Especially since I ride an electric bicycle and I’m constantly going 20mph..
If I’m coming over a bridge and your also coming over on the same side of the road, it’s going to create disasterous results.
Please, please, please, everyone ride on the correct side of the road.
I frequently bike up and down Morris Bridge Road from Cross Creek Road to get to the entrance of Flat Woods Park in New Tampa, which is about a 3 mile stretch. The road is one lane each way, and has a narrow dedicated bike lane strip on each side.
Earlier this week I was nearly run over by a mini-van that had drifted halfway into the bike lane and continued to ride toward me either without noticing that they were approaching a cyclist in a lane they should not be driving in, or not caring. End result was that I was forced off the bike lane and crash into a ditch, causing injury to myself and to my road bike. The offending vehicle never slowed down or stopped to see if I was alright.
Due to the frequency of vehicles drifting into the bike lanes on that road, I’ve taken to riding in the opposite direction of traffic (in the dedicated bike lanes), which in this case I am positive saved my life. Had I been biking with the flow of traffic on that side, the vehicle would surely have run me down.
I would like some legal clarification as to Florida laws with regard to my situation and if there is ever any scenario where riding within a dedicated bike lane and not in the direction of traffic on that side is legal, or at least defensible from a legal stand point. Also, there are no directional markers in the bike lanes on Morris Bridge Road. The conditions on Morris Bridge road are so hazardous that being forced to ride with traffic and getting clipped from behind with no warning makes using those bike lanes effectively unusable.
It makes no rational sense that people are forced to choose between possibly violating a law in order to be able to more effectively avert disaster, or risk being hit by a vehicle without warning in order to comply with a law or statue. And yes, I do understand the math regarding collision speed difference when riding with or against traffic, but would argue that more cyclists would be alive today had they been aware that a vehicle was trespassing into their lane, than not.
Unfortunately I did not get the license plate of the driver that nearly killed me, but is there some legal recourse I should pursue?
Sincerely,
Patrick
There is no legal justification for riding against traffic in the roadway, whether there is bike lane or not.
My question for you is what would happen if I wanted to ride in the opposite (with traffic) direction as you on that same road?
The other part is that if you were riding in the same direction as the minivan, the minivan would have more time to avoid you.
The reason for uniform rules is for safety first. All studies done, have shown it is safer to ride with traffic then against it.
If you are that worried about a rear collision, I would suggest you buy one or two rear view mirrors, like I have.
TOTALY DISAGREE WITH THE LAW. YOU SHOULD RIDE YOUR BIKE ‘AGAINST’ THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC THEN YOU CAN AT LEAST SEE WHOS GOING TO KILL YOU!
Yeah. That’s it..
You never want to ride against traffic..
I’ve already gotten into an accident with someone riding against me in the bicycle lane..
VERY DANGEROUS!!!