Cycling in Florida is a good thing and serves valuable purposes, which include maintaining good health and reducing pollution and our use of fossil fuels. In our struggling economy, many people can no longer afford automobiles as their sole means of transportation. Bike use has therefore been on the rise, which has exacerbated the long-existing conflict between drivers and bicyclists. It is a conflict that creates danger because many drivers don't understand or respect bicyclists' legal right and duty to share the roads with motorists.
Although many drivers would prefer that cyclists stay confined to Florida's sidewalks, this is not the safest option for any of us. In addition to the potential increase in Florida pedestrian accidents, cycling on the sidewalk poses a risk of increased accidents with cars — particularly because a bicyclist's position may not be visible to those in cars and cyclists move much faster on sidewalks than pedestrians — often much faster than motorists think they are moving. Many accidents, in fact, occur when a driver fails to see a cyclist approaching on a sidewalk or underestimates a cyclist's speed, and then pulls or backs in front of them.
Florida's Bike Laws
In order to alleviate some frustration on the roads and reduce Florida bicycle accidents, it's important for motorists and cyclists to understand the laws that bicyclists must follow. The following laws are found in Florida's Uniform Traffic Control Law, which can give drivers an understanding of bicyclists' behavior on the roads.
- Cyclists must use bike lanes when they are available. If there are no bike lanes in a particular location, bicyclists should ride as close to the right hand curb or edge of a roadway as safely possible.
- Bicyclists are not permitted to ride on the left side of the road in the lane of travel of oncoming traffic.
- Bicyclists must obey all traffic signs and signals that apply to drivers.
- Like automobile drivers, bicyclists must give pedestrians the right of way — whether they are riding on the street or the sidewalk.
- Bicyclists must signal when they are going to make a turn.
- Bicyclists must not carry more passengers than the bike was designed or equipped to carry.
These are only a few of the many traffic laws that apply to bicyclists. These laws are in place to keep both bicyclists and drivers safe. Failure to follow them can lead to serious bike versus car accidents.
However, this is a two way street and motorists have important obligations to bicyclists. Most importantly, they must keep their eyes out for bicyclists, watching for bikes while turning or crossing intersections, around parked cars and around sharp turns in the road. Given our excellent weather in Florida, it is critically important for drivers to use extra caution and be on the watch for the many cyclists and motorcycle riders on Florida's roads.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 100 Florida bicyclists were killed and 4,425 bicyclists were injured in 4,775 reported bike accidents in 2009. Many of these accidents were caused by drivers failing to watch for bicyclists or bicyclists failing to follow bicycle laws.
If you have been injured in a Florida bicycle accident, do not hesitate to contact a personal injury attorney near you. You may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and more.
