Bicycle Rules of the Road

As bicycling becomes more popular in Cleveland, it makes sense to understand the rules of the road and your responsibilities as you bike around town. Ohio law defines a bicycle as a vehicle that is governed by all applicable traffic laws. A bicyclist can receive a ticket for violating traffic laws although no points are assessed against a rider’s driver’s license.

A bicyclist is required to travel in the same direction as other traffic, not against traffic. A bike should ride toward the right side of the traveled roadway, but it is not required to stay at the far edge of the roadway. A bike is allowed to move from the right side of the roadway to avoid obstacles or objects like sewer grates or parked cars. When riding a bike, the rider needs to obey all traffic signs and signals. Even if a rider is right about traffic rules, a rider will always come out worse in an encounter with a car or truck.

Defensive driving and courtesy toward other drivers using the same roadways is the key to safe operation of your bicycle. If you have an accident with a motor vehicle while riding your bicycle, fill out our contact form or call the Cleveland personal injury attorneys at NRS Injury Law at (855)GOT-HURT.