Bay Area Bicyclists: Are You Following These Safety Rules?

Bay Area Bicyclists: Are You Following These Safety Rules?

Bicycling may be eco-friendly and good exercise, but it can also be dangerous. In the event that you need to hire a personal injury lawyer in San Jose to file an accident injury claim, you’ll be asked whether you were following all necessary traffic regulations. Since California is a comparative negligence state, your compensation may be reduced if it’s determined that your failure to follow the safety rules contributed to your personal injuries.

Just like drivers, cyclists must yield right of way to pedestrians. If a cyclist dismounts and walks the bike, he or she is considered a pedestrian. Cyclists must stop at all stop signs and red traffic lights, and they are prohibited from riding in the wrong direction on a one-way street. Riding on the sidewalk is allowed in some municipalities, but not in others. It’s legal in San Jose, but not in nearby Campbell. Cyclists everywhere in California are encouraged to use the bike lane or stay to the right-hand side of the road. However, they are allowed move into the center of a lane when it’s safer than the right-hand side, and they can move into the left half of a lane to make a left-hand turn.