If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident then you may be entitled to recover up to 100% of the damages you suffered. However, it’s important that you’re following the rules for bicyclists in California. Not following them could result in accidents and in being ineligible to win an award for a personal injury case. If you believe you have a case, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today for your free consultation.
The California DMV specifies rules for bicyclists
It’s true that people on bikes are entitled to share the road with people in vehicles. According to the CDMV, they have both the same responsibilities and the same rights as vehicle drivers and motorcyclists. Bicyclists have further rules too, which include:
- Obeying all stop signs and other traffic signals
- Making turns in the same way drivers do, which means using the appropriate turn lanes. If you’re on a bike and you’re traveling straight ahead, you need to use a through lane instead of riding next to the curb blocking traffic.
- Can ride on certain sections of the road in rural areas if there isn’t another alternative route.
- Need to ride single file on narrow and / or busy streets.
- Must ride with the flow of traffic – not against it.
- Can ride close to the left curb or edge if they’re on a one-way street.
- Should ride as close to the right curb or edge as possible – never on the sidewalk.
- Can move left to pass moving vehicles, bikes, or animals, or to avoid debris in the road.
- Can ride in the middle of the lane if they’re traveling at the same speed as traffic.
- Must use signals to ensure motorcyclists and other bicyclists know their intentions.
- Can’t operate a bike on the roadway unless their bike has a brake that can make the bike stop on level, clean, dry pavement.
- Must wear a helmet unless they’re older than 18.
- Must carry identification.
There are additional rules for bicyclists when it’s dark
If you’re riding a bike when it’s dark then you must be using the following equipment:
- A front lamp that emits a light that can be seen from 300 feet away.
- A back red reflect that’s visible from 500 feet away.
- Each pedal must have a yellow or white reflector. If preferred, reflectors on the shoes of the bicyclists can be used instead. Either way, the reflectors must be visible from 200 feet away.
Have you been involved in a bicyclist accident?
The truth is that the vast majority of bike accidents with vehicles aren’t the fault of the person on the bike. If you’ve been involved in an accident on a bicycle then you should contact a California bicycle accident attorney right away. The longer you wait, the lower your chances of a successful outcome could be. Contact an attorney while witnesses still remember the accident and before you make repairs to your bike. Call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 to schedule your free consultation.
