Originally Posted by Helmet Head
Whether your bicycle is legally a vehicle varies from state to state, but you do have the same rights and responsibilities as does a driver of a vehicle...
We should keep the variable legal definition of a bicycle in relative perspective. Few cyclists need ever be concerned with the status that their transportation device would have in court.
On the other hand, a cyclist who enters a public right-of-way in the US needs to understand that, according to the definition used by highway planners, designers and engineers, they're operating a vehicle. BTW, English speakers will find that, in almost every dictionary, the definition of a bicycle begins with the two words
A vehicle
Someone who hears and accepts that their bike isn't a vehicle, and then pedals around as if they're some kind of Pedestrian On Wheels, is more likely to make potentially serious operational mistakes because travel on wheels has important maneuverability limitations that foot travel does not.
Friends don't let friends be POWs
