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.