General Cycling Discussion - Do YOU know ... ??

Do you know the traffic safety act or highway traffic codes/laws for your province or state as they pertain to bicycles???


Here's mine for the province of Alberta:

http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Regs/2002_322.cfm?frm_isbn=0779717090


If you know the link to your province or state's traffic laws, post them here for us to refer to in case we travel to your part of the world! :)



Also, when you read over your laws, was there anything that surprised you? The bell requirement in the Alberta laws didn't surprise me (I'd been warned about that one before I got here), but the law about no more than 2 headlamps was a bit surprising.

Ontarios highway traffic act here: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/90h08_e.htm

I sure do, and here's a link that'll help others find theirs: http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/bikelaw.htm

Washington State, USA (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.61.755)

Summary: same rights & duties as when driving a motor vehicle, except stuff that can't apply by its nature. Use a headlight and at least a red reflector at night (but naturally I recommend doing better than that). When riding in a group, don't hog the whole road.

Here's the California regulations pertaining to bikes: California Vehicle Code Division 11 - Rules of the Road (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd11c1a4.htm)

Florida: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0316/titl0316.htm&StatuteYear=2006&Title=%2D%3E2006%2D%3EChapter%20316

Chapter 316.2065 is the bicycle specific regulation.

Bikehighway has links for US ,Canada , and some Euro bike laws.

http://www.bikehighway.com/cyclinglaws.htm

Pennsylvania:

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/bike/web/bikelaws.htm

I know the basic bicycle laws here in California, but that link Danno put up had some stuff I was not familiar with. Nothing really surprising, but I did look up info on bicycle laws here in San Diego and found it interesting that it is unlawful to operate a bicycle within the San Diego city limits unless you have a bicycle license.

http://clerkdoc.sannet.gov/legtrain/mc/MuniCodeChapter03/Ch03Art04Division00

I guess I'm a law nerd, but I was just looking at mine this morning. Interesting, there are two conflicting sets posted on the DC web site:

http://ddot.dc.gov/ddot/lib/ddot/information/bicycle/regulations34.pdf
and
http://www.ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/information/bicycle/pdf/18_DCMR_12.pdf

With substantial differences.

Good subject to bring up. I don't know anyone localy who even knows what they are.

Here is Rhode Island. http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE31/31-19/INDEX.HTM

I carry mine on the bike all the time. What surprised me is that I can legally park a bicycle in any on the road (not on private property) car parking spot. And my friends are surprised that a cop can check your brakes and give you a ticket etc.

(c) A bicycle may be parked in the roadway at any angle to the curb or edge of the roadway at any location where parking is allowed.

(d) A bicycle may be parked on the roadway abreast of another bicycle or bicycles near the side of the roadway at any location where parking is allowed.

Kansas

http://www.ksdot.org/archive/burrail/bike/safety/bicycles.htm


Looks like my speedplay and shimano pedals violate 8-1592(c)

Good subject to bring up. I don't know anyone localy who even knows what they are.

And my friends are surprised that a cop can check your brakes and give you a ticket etc.



I think a lot of people are unaware of the specifics of their local bicycle laws.



In the Alberta law, there's a huge section on helmets, but as for the rest of the equipment, this is all it says:

Bicycle equipment

99(1) A person shall not ride a bicycle at night time unless the bicycle has the following:

(a) at least one headlamp but not more than 2 headlamps;

(b) at least one red tail lamp;

(c) at least one red reflector mounted on the rear.

(2) A person shall not ride a bicycle unless the bicycle has a brake.


So the brake issue comes up in Alberta law too ..... and that also means that fixed gear bicycles must have at least one brake.


Now interestingly, up in the definitions, they define a bicycle as:

(c) “bicycle” means a cycle propelled solely by human power on which a person may ride that has 2 wheels, and includes a bicycle with training wheels;


So my father's cattrike doesn't fall under the traffic safety act at all!!!!

The BTA, a Portland, Oregon advocacy group, has a 117 page booklet available which lists the Oregon Revised Statutes that apply to bicycles. There are also sections that cover local ordinances for several of the larger cities around the state.
It is a worthwhile resource for anyone who rides in Oregon.

Pedal Power (http://www.stc-law.com/bikepower.html)

It is a PDF file.

I think a lot of people are unaware of the specifics of their local bicycle laws.



In the Alberta law, there's a huge section on helmets, but as for the rest of the equipment, this is all it says:

Bicycle equipment

99(1) A person shall not ride a bicycle at night time unless the bicycle has the following:

(a) at least one headlamp but not more than 2 headlamps;

(b) at least one red tail lamp;

(c) at least one red reflector mounted on the rear.

(2) A person shall not ride a bicycle unless the bicycle has a brake.


So the brake issue comes up in Alberta law too ..... and that also means that fixed gear bicycles must have at least one brake.


Now interestingly, up in the definitions, they define a bicycle as:

(c) “bicycle” means a cycle propelled solely by human power on which a person may ride that has 2 wheels, and includes a bicycle with training wheels;


So my father's cattrike doesn't fall under the traffic safety act at all!!!!

That's either great, or terrible ?

I've not only read the laws governing Queensland, I have a PDF file on my hard drive should I need to refer to anything at some point, although that's only really useful if you ever have to deal with a law-enforcement officer who doesn't know the law (it's been known to happen).

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/LTASinfo.nsf/index/roadrules_home

There's nothing in there terribly surprising. You still need a functioning brake, lights at night etc etc. It's one of the few Australian states that allows footpath/sidewalk riding, but that's not something I take advantage of very often (and from my observations, bans on footpath riding aren't enforced in other states in any case). Some of the discussions I've seen about ultra-bright lights on this forum make me wonder about this law:

219 Lights not to be used to dazzle other road users
A driver must not use, or allow to be used, any light fitted to or in the driver’s vehicle to dazzle, or in a way that is likely to dazzle, another road user.
Maximum penalty—20 penalty units.

Not that this stops some people of course.

From a pure safety perspective, it's also important to know which laws the police can and can't be bothered enforcing. At intersections, for example, I always keep my eyes open for red light runners or people who can't read Stop/Give Way signs. Barely a day goes by where I don't encounter at least one, simply because the police don't seem to care.