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Ultimate Guide
Article: Rules For Cyclists
Author: Brenda Williams
Article:
Cyclists can be almost intolerable to motorists at times. It is
no secret that there is a long standing relationship between
cyclists and people who are behind the wheels of cars. However,
over time, hopefully this will be a relationship that evolves
into something healthy and amicable for both parties involved.
Whether or not motorists like it, most laws dictate that
cyclists and motorists are to share the roadways together.
Different rules apply of course depending on what state, city or
county you live in. However, most semi-serious cyclists or those
who are traveling too fast for a sidewalk, ride in the roadways
WITH traffic. These cyclists are required by law to wear helmets
and obey all of the rules of the road as if they were a
motorist. This translates into not running red lights and
yielding to other pedestrians the same way a motorist might.
Because even the fastest cyclists cannot compete with a motor
vehicle, they are required to stay as far to the side of the
road as is possible. A cyclist is not allowed to hog a single
lane of traffic to themselves, thus delaying other motorists
behind them. However, this is obviously not the case if the
cyclists are a part of a race that is competing (in which case,
the roads would be shut down to begin with). Cyclists must also
know the rules of the roadways as well as what hand signals to
use. That's right, there are hand signals that a cyclist must
know for whenever they want to make a left or right hand turn
off of a roadway. Similarly, it is the responsibility of both
the motorists as well as the cyclists to know what these hand
signals mean so that accidents can be avoided.
There have been a few instances of motorists growing impatient
with cyclists and running them off the roads. This is not only
dangerous, but it is entirely inappropriate, illegal and may
result in the death of the cyclist. If you see any inappropriate
behavior either from cyclists and/or from motorists, you should
report it right away to your local police department. If you are
riding your bicycle at night, you should always wear reflective
gear and make sure that your bicycle is equipped with
reflectors. These reflectors act as a safety precaution,
alerting other drivers to your presence on the road with them.
Additionally, you should strive to wear light colored clothing
whenever possible. Most professional cyclists that you see on
the roads during the day wear unusually bright colors, though
this is not done by accident. The bright colors tend to attract
attention to the cyclist, thus making their presence known and
noticeable among the other drivers on the road.
In recent years, more and more people have begun to dig their
bicycles out of the garage or shed and have begun to take to the
streets. This is, in part, due to the popularity that
celebrities such as Lance Armstrong have brought to the sport.
But also, cycling is a fun and relatively easy, effective means
of transportation. In this day and age where gas prices have
been up and down, many are also finding cycling to be an
effective means of transportation when it comes to getting to
and from their jobs (provided that they work within easy
distance to their apartments or houses). That being said, it is
that much more important for motorists and cyclists to be aware
of the other since the future looks like the two will be
spending a lot of time together on the roads.
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To your cycling enjoyment!
Marietjie
