On-Street Bicycling - Share the road
Accept the responsibilities that go along with your rights Madison and Wisconsin laws recognize bicycles as vehicles and give you, the bicycle driver, the right to use most roads. Along with this right comes the responsibility to obey the same laws as other drivers. Understanding a few basic concepts can go a long way towards reducing the conflicts between motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. |
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Obey Traffic Signals & Signs As a vehicle, bicycles must obey all the Rules of the Road. Cyclists have the same privileges and duties as other vehicles. |
Always Ride with Traffic Riding against traffic is unpredictable. Drivers turning at intersections, exiting driveways or leaving parking spaces are not expecting wrong way bicyclists. |
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Ride to the Right in a Straight Line Ride as far to the right as practicable, but stay far enough away from the curb to avoid hazards. Ride in a straight line at least three feet away from the curb to allow room for moving around road hazards. Watch for cars entering from driveways. |
Beware of Car Doors Wisconsin law requires the person opening a car door to ensure that it is safe to do so. When possible, ride 3 feet away from car doors to decrease the likelihood of being "doored". |
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Passing moving or stopped cars or bicycles Three feet of clearance is required when passing moving or stopped cars or bicycles. Motorists passing bicycles also have to give three feet of clearance. |
Changing Lanes The change lanes, look behind you for traffic and signal first. Traffic in the lane you want to move into has the right of way. Look back and wait for an opening in traffic before moving over. |
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Making Left Turns There are two ways to make a left turn: 1) Look back for traffic, signal, then move when safe. 2) Ride straight through the intersection, dismount at the opposite corner and walk your bike across the street. |
Scan the Road Ahead At intersections, watch for turning cars and pedestrians. When mid-block, watch for cars pulling out of driveways, alleys and parking spaces. Make eye contact with other drivers. Yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks. |
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Riding Two Abreast Ride single file when other traffic is present. Riding two-abreast is permitted as long as other traffic is not impeded. |
Crossing Railroad Tracks Cross railroad tracks at a right angle to avoid getting your front wheel caught. Slow down and look behind you for traffic. Change your lane position if necessary to line up to cross the tracks at a right angle. Return to your original lane position after crossing the tracks. |
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Passing Busses Pass busses on the left. Bus drivers have blind spots to their right and rear. Passing on the right could get you squeezed against the curb if the bus pulls over. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians who may cross the street in front of the bus. |
Be Careful at Intersections Proceed carefully, make sure you are visible, and signal your intentions. Watch cars at intersections carefully. Make eye contact with drivers. Be visible. Ride further out in the lane as you approach intersections. Be prepared to stop or make an emergency turn if necessary. Vehicles making turns can be particularly dangerous. |
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Pay Attention to Motorists Making Right-Hand Turns Be alert for drivers speeding up then slowing down as they pass you. Do not pass cars on the right near intersections; you will be in the driver’s blind spot. Do not rely on other drivers’ turn signals. |
Communicate with other Drivers Make eye contact and signal your turns and lane changes. |
- On-Street Bicycling
- Bike Path Etiquette
- 10 Smart Rules to Bike Safety
- Bicycling on Sidewalks
- Bike Maintenance
- Helmets
- Lock your Bike
- Bicycle Theft
- Bicycle Crashes
- Commuting by Bike
- Biking with Children
- Biking for Fun
- Biking at Night
- Biking in Winter
- Bikes on Metro Transit
- Bike Registration
- Bike Laws
- Madison B-cycle
- Learn to Ride
- Aprenda a Andar en Bicicleta
Bike Safety
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