Side by Side Cycling
Question
Joe asked: Recent tragedy in Davie FL on SR 84. Two cyclists were killed when a driver hit the outside column of riders. Is it legal under FL statute for cyclists to ride side by side in columns on public roads?
Answer
There is not a simple answer as the laws are not precise. Please see this post.
http://flbikelaw.org/2009/07/cyclists-riding-two-abreast/
There are other related posts in that section.
http://flbikelaw.org/category/group-riding/
The driver said the sun was in her eyes. This does happen when you drive directly into the sun. The state should close streets aligned with the sun as to cause a sight restriction until the sun is at an angle that does not impact motorists. They close roads for other conditions that limit visibility.
A friend drives down SR 84 every weekday morning on the way to work. She said that by 8 the sun is high enough to not hinder her ability to see the road.
Per the Internet, today’s sunrise time (2 days after the crash) for Davie Fl is listed as 6:50. The crash occurred at 8:30, or an hour and 40 minutes after sunrise.
Regarding Steven’s comment about closing the roads facing toward the sun at sunrise-pretty funny. Of course it’s driver’s responsibility to safely operate their motor vehicles, if someone cannot see the road for whatever reason, IMHO they shouldn’t be attempting to drive.