Traffic Stops
Question
Brugh asked: What is the full detailed procedure & legal line of questions & requests allowed & enforced by law during a routine bicycle traffic stop?
Answer
Bicycles are vehicles. Any legal procedures involved with a traffic stop of a driver of any vehicle would apply to the operator of a bicycle with few exceptions. An exception might be while riding on a sidewalk, when a bicyclist has the rights and duties of a pedestrian. Another might be a law that only applies to motor vehicles such as driving at a speed that impedes other traffic. Any applicable law may be questioned in a traffic stop, including the probable cause to believe the driver has committed a crime. The traffic stop must be for cause, such as a suspected violation of a traffic law or a random traffic stop for license checks or possible intoxication. The criteria for those must be clearly defined before hand and applicable to all drivers.
“a random traffic stop for license checks” doesn’t apply to cyclists, however.