How to argue with a cyclist taking the lane . . .

[SadieKate]

NOT!

http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2010/01/20/dude-who-do-you-think-youre-honking-at/

[zoom-zoom]

I saw this earlier. That guy in the car had balls. Were I the cop I would have ticketed his obnoxious ***.

[7rider]

Wow. I'm just in awe that for lanes less than 14' wide, cyclists are entitled to take the entire lane and motorists MUST change lanes to pass.
In our area, a cyclist has been ticketed (http://www.thewashcycle.com/2010/01/ticketed-for-not-riding-far-enough-to-the-right.html)for riding not far enough to the right (by who's standard???) in a <11' lane!

[ginny]

hhmmm.... I think maybe these sort of laws need to be more accessible to both cyclists and cars. I *thought* that it was ALWAYS legal for a cyclist to take the lane if circumstances warranted it (i.e. ice in the bike lane or other hazards); but honestly, I'm not entirely sure of that. I wonder where I would find this info by state (you know, aside from asking dbf the attorney)...

[SadieKate]

Try your state's vehicle code.

[OakLeaf]

"Laws" and "accessible" don't generally belong in the same sentence...

But a checklist of 50-state FAQs, like AAA has or at least used to have, would be handy.

What state are you in?

That would be a great project for the LAB, or even a joint project for LAB/ACA, since many ACA tours cross state lines and require the riders to know multiple states' laws. Hopping on over to volunteer...

[ginny]

Oak, I'm in Wyoming and cycle frequently in CO. I lived there for a long time and thought I knew the rules there too... Thanks for the ideas of where to look...

[OakLeaf]

http://www.bikeleague.org/action/bikelaws/wy.php

[MartianDestiny]

Colorado:

http://bicyclecolo.org/articles/documents-references-pg54.htm

Check "Colorado Statute 42-4-1412" for the bicycle portion of the vehicle code.

[ginny]

thanks, you ladies rock!

[zoom-zoom]

The seemingly random nature of cycling laws does add confusion. My folks live in WI and my dad likes to rant about the tourons (seriously, some of these tourists are morons, whether on a bike, driving, walking, etc. Stopping in the middle of a busy street to take photos is asking for trouble) riding 2 abreast. But I looked online and found that this is perfectly legal in their state. It would make sense if driving and cycling laws were the same from state-to-state.

[Maxxxie]

I don't understand why the cop didn't stop to give the guy a ticket. Let's think about this for a minute - today, that tool learned that he can even give a cop grief over being a cyclist, and there will be no consequences. :mad:

Some interesting points have been made about inconsistencies between state road rules. Here in Australia, efforts have been made to bring state road rules into alignment. This has been a work in progress for several years now. I think it's particularly welcomed by people living on state borders who travel interstate for work, leisure etc. I would love to see the state road rules abolished in favour of a national set of road rules.

Max