Archive of questions, answers about Florida bicycle laws and law enforcement
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.
Question Richard asked: I have been reading the Florida Statues…I need some clarification by an expert…Do the Florida Laws apply to the sidewalk and paths approved for cycling….A sidewalk an designated blacktop path that runs adjacent to a highway A!A …
Question Harry asked: How can it be legal for a DOT to install a traffic control device, which some people are incapable of obeying? FDOT is redesigning a road crossing on a rural shared-use path because it installed traffic signals …
Question Wayne asked: I am new to Florida and I want to make sure I understand the rules of the road clearly. I have read all your helpful information concerning the laws for cyclists. Am I, as a cyclist, allowed …
Question Derrick asked: Are party bikes legal in the state of Florida including in Gainesville, FL?
Question Stephano asked: I will stay in Miami with my road bike. I need to know which types of road I can use. Hwy 27?
Question Moises asked: Hello, we are planning on holding a slow ride around town. This will not be a race by any means, and all traffic laws will be obeyed as they should always be. Now we are told that …
Question Nina asked: Before you cross a road in Flagler County/Palm Coast do you have to walk your bike across the road?
Question Christine asked: Are bicyclists supposed to ride in the same direction as auto traffic while in bike lanes, especially those with arrows pointing in that direction painted on the ground within the bike lanes? If a cyclist is injured …
Question Ted asked: I plan to bike from Tampa to Daytona Beach or Melbourne, FL. Am I allowed to use state roads and interstate highways? I would want to use less used and congested roads as Hway 301 and 50. …
Question Jacci asked: I drive a car to work on Brickell, which is a haven for bicyclists. I respect that and their rights by not only looking both ways twice at an intersection, but also obeying the law when a …