What Direction?
Question Karrin asked: Is it illegal to ride facing traffic? (into traffic)
Category: Rights & Duties
Generally, bicyclists and other operators of human powered vehicles have the same rights and duties as other drivers unless specified in the statutes.
For example, cyclists must not drive too fast for the conditions:
s. 316.183 – Unlawful Speed
(1)No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing.
but are not subject to the slow speed and impeding traffic provision because they are not motor vehicles.
(5)No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic
Under certain conditions, cyclists must keep right and in bike lanes, but there are many exceptions specified in the statutes.
Bicyclists on the sidewalk have the same rights and duties as pedestrians.
The most basic right of all vehicle operators, including bicyclists, is that they are entitled to the use of the roadway.
How to Treat a Cyclist on the Road
Question Roselyn asked: I am a driver. I drive to work in the right lane because I must turn right soon, and there is a marked white line made for bicycles to the right of me. I passed right by …
Direction of Travel on a Sidewalk
Question Sharon asked: I live in Manatee County. I have to turn right onto a fairly high trafficked road when exiting my neighborhood. That road has both bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides. There is a stop sign where …
Driving on the Left Side of a Four-Lane Roadway
Question Scott asked: Are there any statutes or exceptions for the following scenario? Bicycle driver riding on left side of road, two lanes in each direction, no bike lane or curb. The reason on left side of road was she …
Recumbent Drivers’ Rights and Duties
Question Jeremy asked: What laws are different for a tricycle (I have a recumbent tadpole-style, not electric) than for a bicycle?
Limited Access Highways
Question William asked: I am involved in a situation concerning this very statute 316.091. We were biking eastbound on US92 past the Hard Rock Casino. There is a dedicated bike lane that follows US 92, which is Hillsborough Avenue. The …
Group Cyclists
Question Tracy asked: Is it legal for group cyclists to take up every lane and keep motorized vehicles from passing?
The Basic Laws about Bicycling in Florida
Question Chris asked: I moved here from Colorado in June and within the first 60 days have already been hit by a car (still going though litigation). Although I am back on the bike and on the roads, I am …
Which Side of the Roadway?
Question Erin asked: Which statue tells you what side of the road a bicyclist has to ride in the state of Florida? And by Florida state law you have to ride with the flow of traffic while riding a bicycle, …
Local Ordinance and eBikes
Question Mike asked: Can a local government outlaw or regulate use of e-bikes even though the e-bike meets the statutory definition of an e-bike?