Keep Right and Stop Signs
Question Beth asked: A few situations have happened and I am questioning if the police officer is correct. Riding bike down a 2-lane road with no available shoulder. How much lane usage can I take up? I got stopped for …
Category: Lane Width & Sharing
[caption id="attachment_2101" align="alignright" width="300"]
Click the image above to explore lane width in an interactive graphic.[/caption]
Click the image above to explore lane width in an interactive graphic.[/caption]
The laws that apply to bicyclists relate to two lane widths, narrow and wide. A narrow lane is a substandard-width lane if a motor vehicle cannot travel safely side by side with a bicycle within the lane. In such circumstances a bicyclist need no keep right and may legally impede other traffic
In a wide lane, usually a minimum of 14 feet, bicyclists may not ride two abreast and must keep right to avoid impeding other traffic unless travelling at the same speed or greater than other traffic, passing, preparing for a left turn or avoiding any unsafe or potentially unsafe condition.
Club Rides Taking the Travel Lane
Question Gary asked: In Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores FL, Gulf Blvd is one lane divided by a double yellow line which means no passing. There’s a designated bike lane. These groups of bicycle club riders some times blocks …
Two Abreast in a Narrow Lane
Question Tim asked: Are you allowed to ride double file on a sub-standard lane?
Narrow Lane Court Case Outcome
Question Thomas asked: So, I recently inquired about a case in which I received a citation. I just got out of court, and the case was dismissed however it seemed to me that he felt I was wrong but didn’t …
Citation and Substandard-Width Lane
Question Tom asked: So this is a multi stage issue/question. While I’m not particularly proud of how I handled the officer (He irritated me right off the bat) I think transparency would be best. The audio is horrible but there …
Maintenance of Bike Lanes
Question Frans asked: Taking the full lane or riding close to the middle. The city has bike lanes at different streets. Good, well they are poorly maintained and most are no longer 4 feet wide. I asked the county to …
Motorbikes and Lane Splitting
Question Frans asked: Question 1: As I understand, lane splitting is illegal except when the width of the lane (14 ft minimum) provides enough space for two vehicles. A motorbike is not much wider than a bicycle, which makes you …
Imaginary Laws
Question Marc asked: How do you handle a deputy who tells you that must keep to the extreme right of a substandard roadway or ride on the sidewalk?
Yielding to Backed Up Traffic
Question Laura asked: In Florida, is it law that cyclists (and I presume motorists) must pull off the road when practicable, when a certain number of vehicles are following behind them in a non-passing zone? As a young driver of …
Three Foot Rule
Question Mary asked: Bicycle safety. One of the most crucial, but often overlooked factors in bicycle safety is the Florida rule that bicyclists should ride within 3 feet of the right curb. (That is why the marked bicycle lanes are …