Bicycles

As an active bike commuter, it would be nice to remind automobile drivers and bicycle riders of the rules for bicycles and motorists. Intersections always seem to be an issue while riding, especially when turning left. Another situation a bike rider can get into is when a 2 lane turns into one lane and a right turn lane. If the rider wants to go straight where does the bike go?

Simply put, the rider of a bicycle has the same rights and duties as the driver of a motor vehicle. This means that drivers must share the road with riders in the same way as they would if they were dealing with another motor vehicle instead of the cyclist.

The only minor difference is that the cyclist must ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway and the driver must confine their vehicle to the right hand half of the roadway. The highway extends from pavement edge to pavement edge in this case, and the roadway is from the center line to either the solid white edge line or the edge of the pavement if this line is not present.

The cyclist is entitled to ride on the pavement and is not required to ride on the gravel shoulder.

Where traffic is merging or the cyclist wants to travel straight through instead of turning right, the cyclist should behave the same way a driver would and use the right edge of the lanes that they are entitled to. Having said that, sometimes discretion is required for self preservation. For a left turn the rider may want to dismount and become a pedestrian to take advantage of the crosswalk if they are not permitted to ride in them by a bylaw or sign.

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