What Every Bicyclist Should Know

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In Pennsylvania, a bicycle is considered a vehicle governed by a general set of rules that are common to all vehicles. Bikes, cars, trucks and buses all play by the same rules of the road.

Empower yourself. Learn to be street-wise, and claim your right to the road!

Wear a helmet. Before you get on your bike, put on a helmet. Make sure the straps are adjusted properly, and chin strap buckled and snug. Unlike broken bones and road rash, head injuries can be debilitating or deadly. Wearing your helmet may save your life!

Stay off the sidewalks. It is illegal to bike on sidewalks in the City of Philadelphia and in many other locations. Leave the sidewalks to pedestrians - give bike lanes a try; learn how to use them.

Take your place in traffic. Ride on the right side with the flow of traffic but don't hug the curb. It's the safest way to go! Use the lane furthest to the right that heads in the direction you are traveling. Take the entire lane (ride in the center) when it is too narrow to share with other vehicles, or if traveling the same speed as the vehicle ahead of you, or if hazards narrow the usable roadway width, or to assert your position in the roadway before making a left turn.

Be aware of your surroundings. Biking on urban streets requires concentration. You must be aware of the traffic around you while also watching out for pedestrians and scanning the roadway surface for potholes, drainage grates, trolley tracks and other hazards that can cause you to take a spill. Check for traffic before entering a street or changing lanes. Never assume that drivers see your hand signals or will yield to you. Make eye contact with motorists. Anticipate bad moves. Ride defensively!

Ride predictably and visibly. Ride a straight line. Don't swerve between parked cars. Signal your intentions. Obey all signs, signals and pavement markings. NEVER pass on the right when approaching an intersection. At night use headlights, flashers, and reflective tape/clothing.

Stay away from the door zone. Ride more than an arm's length from parked cars. A surprise car door opening can ruin your day!

Maintain and inspect your bike. Keep your bike tuned up and regularly check your brakes, tire pressure, crank and quick releases. Take your bicycle to a shop for a professional inspection twice a year. Secure any loads tightly to a rack.

Take a short course on urban bicycling. Empower yourself! Learn how to negotiate traffic, in class and on the street, from qualified instructors. Email jmadera@dvrpc.org for info on upcoming classes.

More details about the tips offered above can be found at the League of American Bicyclists website.

Laws for Bicyclists

Bicycles are classified as vehicles in Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For that reason bicyclists have rights and responsibilities similar to motorists. Bicyclists also must follow specific laws written because of the bicycle's vulnerability and limited speed. Some of the vehicle laws that apply to bicycling are listed below. It is important to learn and observe the law to ensure your own safety.

Know where you can ride:

• All roads except freeways with limited access
• On the right hand side of the roadway (except on one-way roads)
• As close to the roadway edge as practical (allowing for the free flow of traffic, but without endangering yourself or your bike)
• In the traffic lane
• On paved highway shoulders, riding in the same direction as vehicles moving in the traffic lane next to you
• In the middle of a travel lane if sharing a travel lane is dangerous, or when traveling as fast as traffic
• On the left side of the leftmost travel lane on a one-way road
• Sidewalks, except in business districts or where prohibited by local ordinance (Note: sidewalk riding is more hazardous than riding in the road in nearly all cases)
• In left turn lanes when turning left
• In right turn lanes when turning right
• When going straight through an intersection, on the right-hand side of the rightmost through lane or the center of a combined through/right turn lane
• On the right side of multi-use trails, yielding to other users

Know the traffic laws:

• Obey traffic lights, signs and pavement markings
• Yield to cross-traffic before entering a street
• Yield when changing lanes
• Yield to traffic traveling straight when turning left
• Never overtake on the right
• Signal before turning, stopping or slowing.
• Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and on trails

For more detailed information on rules such as equipment requirements, helmet laws, responsibilities of parents and guardians of child bicyclists, and penalties for violations, please refer to the Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver's Manual (which contains relevant material for bicyclists from Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes).