How Far to the Right Should Bicyclists Ride? What does the law say? What is safe? - International Police Mountain Bike Association

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Editor’s Note: RoadBikeReview contributor Megan Hottman is a recognized legal expert on cycling laws and advocate in the cycling community. She provides bike law education clinics and classes to cyclists, local bike clubs and to law enforcement personnel in the state of Colorado.

This is the million dollar question facing cyclists: How far to the right must we ride? After my discussions with cyclists, motorists and law enforcement officers, I think this is one of the most misunderstood portions of C.R.S. 42-4-1412, the primary statute addressing cyclist conduct in Colorado. Let’s break it down one section at a time. MY COMMENTS ARE IN BOLD ITALICS TO INDICATE MY THOUGHTS vs THE STATUTORY LANGUAGE.

FIRST: WHAT SPEED IS THE CYCLIST GOING?
(5)(a) Any person operating a bicycle or an electrical assisted bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic shall ride in the right-hand lane, subject to the following conditions:

STOP RIGHT THERE — THIS SECTION IMPLIES THAT IF A CYCLIST IS GOING THE NORMAL SPEED OF TRAFFIC, THEN YOU NEED NOT READ ANY FURTHER. BUT – ASSUMING THE CYCLIST IS TRAVELING LESS THAN THE NORMAL SPEED OF TRAFFIC, THEN WE CONTINUE OUR ANALYSIS…

SECOND: IS THE LANE WIDE ENOUGH TO SHARE?
(I) If the right-hand lane then available for traffic is wide enough to be safely shared with overtaking vehicles, a bicyclist 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.

THIS SECTION ABOVE NOTES THAT IF THE LANE IS WIDE ENOUGH TO SHARE WITH A VEHICLE -AS IN, THERE IS ROOM FOR THE CYCLIST, THE 3-FOOT SEPARATION, AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE… THEN, THE CYCLIST SHALL RIDE FAR ENOUGH TO THE RIGHT AS JUDGED SAFE BY THE BICYCLIST. THIS IS A KEY PHRASE!!! EACH CYCLIST’S DETERMINATION OF WHAT IS SAFE, WILL VARY.

ROAD TIRES VS MTB TIRES? ROAD DEBRIS? NARROW SHOULDER? STEEP DROP OFF TO THE RIGHT? VETERAN RIDER WHO CAN HUG THE WHITE LINE OR NEWBIE RIDER WHO IS NOT QUITE AS STEADY OR SMOOTH? PLUS, SEE BELOW: CYCLISTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO RIDE OVER HAZARDS! SO- IF THE LANE CAN BE SHARED BY A BIKE AND A CAR, HOW FAR TO THE RIGHT IS A JUDGEMENT CALL THAT THE CYCLIST MAKES. NOT THE CARS, NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THIRD: WHAT IF THE LANE IS TOO NARROW TO SHARE?

NOTE THE IMPLICATION OF THIS SECTION – IF THE LANE IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH TO BE SAFELY SHARED WITH A CAR, THEN THE CYCLIST MAY TAKE THE LANE! AND BIKE EDUCATORS NATIONWIDE, INCLUDING THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS, TEACH THIS APPROACH.

WE WOULD RATHER HAVE A CYCLIST TAKE THE LANE (AND HAVE A CAR BEHIND THEM HONKING), THAN HAVE A CYCLIST INVITE A CAR TO SHARE A TOO-NARROW LANE WITH THEM AND GET SIDESWIPED OR END UP UNDERNEATH THE CAR. SO TAKE THE LANE IF IT’S TOO NARROW TO SHARE!

Link: 

How Far to the Right Should Bicyclists Ride? What does the law say? What is safe? - International Police Mountain Bike Association

MoBikeFed comment: "Where should bicyclists ride?" and "How far to the right should bicyclists be when riding on the road?" are two of the most common questions we get from both people who bicycle and people who drive.

This article - from an instructor who literally teaches police officers how to bicycle safely and legally while they are on bicycle patrol duty - gives a clear and full answer to this question.

Note that the article specifically mentions Colorado law. But Missouri law and the Missouri Driver Guide (Chapter 7) cover exactly all of the same points that Colorado law does. So all the points made about Colorado law and the situation for bicyclists in Colorado, also apply equally to Missouri law.

You can find summaries of current Missouri bicycle law and the relevant sections of the Missouri Driver Guide here:

https://mobikefed.org/content/missouris-bicycle-and-pedestrian-laws