{"id":12038,"date":"2022-04-15T10:02:30","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T18:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/?p=12038"},"modified":"2022-04-15T10:02:30","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T18:02:30","slug":"the-rules-of-the-road-for-bicycles-what-every-cyclist-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/2022\/04\/15\/the-rules-of-the-road-for-bicycles-what-every-cyclist-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rules of the Road for Bicycles: What Every Cyclist Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cycling can be a great way to get exercise and cut down on emissions. However, if you are not careful, you could wind up in a bike accident with serious injuries.\u00a0<\/span>In fact, every year, over 100 bicyclists are killed and thousands more are injured.\u00a0 Following the rules of the road and bicycling in a predictable and safe manner can help increase your safety and reduce the likelihood of being struck by a motor vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmv.ca.gov\/portal\/driver-education-and-safety\/special-interest-driver-guides\/bicyclists-pedestrians\/\">rules of the road for bicycles in California<\/a>:<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Must Ride with the Flow of Traffic\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bicyclists must ride with the flow of traffic. This means you must drive on the right-hand side of the road at all times. Cyclists must ride as close to the curb as is practical except when they are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making a left-hand turn<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoiding objects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Passing another vehicle\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyclists can ride on the left-hand side of a one-way street.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Are Treated as a Vehicle<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In most situations, cyclists are treated as vehicles. They must follow the same rules as drivers of motor vehicles. They also have the same rights as other motorists to share the road. Cyclists must obey all traffic rules, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stopping at stop signs and red lights<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not drinking and driving<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not riding while distracted<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the direction of traffic\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintaining sufficient space between other vehicles\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not stopping in a bike lane<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Must Ride with Reflectors and Lights When Riding at Night\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bicycles are harder to spot when it is dark. Therefore, you need to use reflectors and flashing lights on your bike. You may also want to wear reflective clothing or tape to further enhance visibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use Hand Signals\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you are turning or otherwise need to communicate to other motorists, use hand signals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Must Use a Bike Lane When Available\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a bike lane is available, you must ride in it. You are also required to travel at a safe speed while in the bike lane. However, you can speed up to make a turn at an intersection or to avoid hazardous conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyclists Must Wear a Helmet If They Are Under 18 Years of Age\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California law requires all cyclists under the age of 18 to wear a helmet. Helmets protect cyclists from traumatic brain injuries and can save lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Cannot Ride in Certain Areas<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyclists are prohibited from riding on highways, toll roads, and other prohibited areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t Cover Both Your Ears<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you might enjoy listening to music, podcasts, or other things while riding, it is essential that you do not cover both your ears with earbuds or other devices. It is important that you can still hear oncoming traffic and alerts regarding impending dangers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Have the Right to Recovery<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you obey all the rules of the road for bicycles, there\u2019s no guarantee that other drivers will follow the rules. If a driver\u2019s negligence causes an accident that injures you, you can take legal action and pursue compensation for the damages you suffered, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical expenses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lost wages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lost earning capacity\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Damage to your bicycle<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pain and suffering<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emotional distress<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you were injured in a bike accident, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/orange-county-bicycle-accident-attorney\/\">Orange County bike accident lawyer<\/a> at Aitken * Aitken * Cohn can help. We can conduct a thorough investigation to determine how your accident happened, who is responsible for it, and which insurance policies can cover your damages. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/contact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a free consultation with our experienced, caring, and compassionate legal team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cycling can be a great way to get exercise and cut down on emissions. However, if you are not careful, you could wind up in a bike accident with serious injuries.\u00a0In fact, every year, over 100 bicyclists are killed and thousands more are injured.\u00a0 Following the rules of the road and bicycling in a predictable&#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/2022\/04\/15\/the-rules-of-the-road-for-bicycles-what-every-cyclist-should-know\/\">read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bicycle-accidents"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12038\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aitkenlaw.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}