CONTENTS
(1) Statement regarding lane position
(2) Lane positioning guidelines
(3) Additional articles about lane positioning
(4) Videos regarding lane position
(5) Additional videos on bicycling best practices
(6) Model bicycle lane position law
(1) Statement regarding lane position
The law states that people on bikes should ride as far right as practicable, but what exactly does that mean?
It does not mean that you have to ride in the gutter -- never ride there. If you’re on a road that is too narrow to share with another vehicle, you should be in the middle of the lane. You do not want to give motorists the opportunity to try to squeeze past you. When the lane is wide enough to share (around 14 feet), you should place yourself three feet away from traffic.
(3) Additional articles about lane positioning
Bike Law University: Where to ride laws (discussion about state laws pertaining to lane position)
(4) Videos regarding lane position
Why are bicyclists in the middle of the road?
Additional material
From the League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Training Manual : Lane Positioning — Ride just to the right of traffic. If the lane is too narrow for a vehicle and cyclist to share, the cyclist should ride in the center or right of center of the lane as passing in a narrow lane is unsafe.
From LAB Smart Cycling: Traffic skills 101: Lane Position Rule: Ride just to the right of the motorized traffic when the lane is wide enough to safely share. When lanes are too narrow to safely share, ride in the center of the lane or just to the right of the center in the right hand tire track. Educating Motorists: Be aware that when a road is too narrow for cars and bikes to ride safely side by side, bicyclists should take the travel lane, which means riding in or near the center of the lane.
From the LAB “Smart Cycling Manual”: Where should I ride on the road? If you don’t feel there is sufficient room for the lane to be shared (side-by-side) you should ride in the middle of traffic lane where other vehicle will have to wait until it’s safe to pass you rather than share the lane. This is called “taking the lane”…. On busier roads with just one lane in each direction, you may have to be more assertive and take the lane by riding in the center of the lane. By doing this you’re communicating that motorists will have to wait behind you until it’s safe for them to cross into the other side of the road… Remember that if motorists can tell from farther away that they can’t squeeze past you (when taking the lane), they’ll be able to plan their lane change earlier, causing less frustration and increasing safety for both parties.
(6) Model bicycle lane position law
Model Where to Ride Law (recommended language for modifying state laws pertaining to lane position)
In most states, the law that applies to bicyclists regarding road position starts with a variation of requiring a position as far to the right as “practicable.” The League's model law recognizes that the common "practicable" language is not clear enough for motorists, bicyclists, and others to understand how to behave appropriately. It is our hope that the model law will make it easier to explain where bicyclists should ride to young riders, motorists, and law enforcement and enable bicyclists to make safe decisions about where to ride without disagreements over whether they can ride according to best practices for safe riding.
All too often the requirement to ride “as far right as practicable” is interpreted so that the bicyclist is expected to ride far right as “possible” regardless of valid safety reasons to ride further left in a travel lane. The confusion of what is meant by “practicable” leads several problems, notably:
Limited public knowledge about where a person on a bicycle should ride,
Inconsistent official statements regarding where a person on a bicycle should ride,
Complicated education messages for individuals and the public, and
Interpretation being a defining aspect of the rule with little official guidance to law enforcement.
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Model Where to Ride Law
The League of American Bicyclists created this Model Where to Ride Law to help states and communities craft laws protecting bicyclists. For more information on why this type of law is needed and the features of this Model Law please visit: http://bikeleague.org/content/model-where-ride-law.
1. A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic shall ride in the right hand lane of the roadway subject to the following provisions:
a. If the right hand lane is wide enough to be safely shared with overtaking vehicles, a person operating a bicycle shall ride far enough to the right as judged safe by the bicyclist to facilitate the movement of such overtaking vehicles unless other conditions make it unsafe to do so.
b. A person operating a bicycle may use a lane other than the right hand lane when:
I. Overtaking or passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;
II. Preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;
III. Reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or lanes that are too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side within such lanes;
IV. Approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right turn lane, in which case a bicyclist may ride on the left-hand side of such dedicated lane, even if the bicyclist does not intend to turn right;
V. Riding on a roadway designated for one-way traffic, when the bicyclist may ride as near to the left-hand curb or edge of such roadway as judged safe by the bicyclist; or
VI. Riding on parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles, including, but not limited to, contra-flow bicycle lanes, left-handed cycle tracks or bicycle lanes on one-way streets and two-way cycle tracks or bicycle lanes.
2. A person operating a bicycle shall not be expected or required to:
a. Ride over or through hazards at the edge of a roadway, including but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow lanes; or
b. Ride without a reasonable safety margin on the right-hand side of the roadway.
3. A person operating a bicycle in compliance with this section and not violating any other section of law is not impeding traffic.