Can you ride a bike on the sidewalk

Ride at a safe and prudent speed. Always watch for vehicles that may pass through the sidewalk crossing from driveways to the main road. Drivers often neglect to stop and look both ways for bikers before proceeding across a sidewalk. If you use your right to ride in the road, other drivers must give you the same respect as a motorist. They must yield you the right-of-way when appropriate, and keep at least three feet of following distance between you.

A driver infringing upon your rights to the road could result in grounds for a personal injury claim against the driver. Whether you use your right to ride on the road or on a sidewalk in California, do so safely. Get our team of attorneys working on your case immediately without risk. Call for a Free Consultation Posted in Bicycle Safety on January 28, Cycling Safely in California Obeying citywide bicycle-riding laws is one of the best ways to avoid collisions as a cyclist.

Dog Attacks Impaired Driver Visibility. When traffic is gridlocked, a cyclist is allowed to hop onto the sidewalk and pedal off into the sunset — or are they?

Legally, riding a bike is treated much similar to cars. They have the same rights as any other vehicle on the roadway, but they also have many of the same prohibitions. How do you know when you can ride on the pavement versus when must stick to the asphalt? To begin with a disclaimer; you are not about to read an exhaustive list of every cycling law in the United States.

I say this because that is what would be required to provide a definitive answer for every reader. Cycling laws numerous and varied. In fact, you may find that no statewide prohibition on sidewalk riding exists where you live; but rather a confusing patchwork of local ordinances allowing it in one city but not another.

For an example, lets look at California. In San Francisco only kids under 13 can ride their bikes on the sidewalk. Not only do the laws vary by city, but they vary by age and district within a given city. In fact, they can be determined by even smaller details.

New York City shares the same age provision as San Francisco; with the added condition that the wheel diameter of the bikes in question is less than 26 inches 0. Still, as bicycles are broadly expected to follow the same rules of the road as a car, it is more likely to be considered illegal. In jurisdictions that do not address the issue specifically, that blanket rule technically prohibits you to ride bike on the sidewalk.

The only way to know for sure if this practice is legal in your jurisdiction is to look up the laws in your specific area.

The League of American Cyclist has a handy site ; that breaks down cycling laws on a state by state basis and is a good place to begin your search. As with most vehicular ordinance, the main motivation is safety. The condition of roadways is far from perfect. There are rough patches, cracks and potholes to contend with even before you factor in other drivers.

Even when bicycle lanes are factored in, for many of us it seems intuitive to believe that the sidewalk is a safer alternative for cyclists. The truth is that there are even more hazards lurking off the road than on it. While obvious, we have to explore what this means cyclist. Roadways, while imperfect, are far more uniform surfaces than sidewalks. Think about the last time you took a stroll. You were probably walking on a series of concrete slabs, each separated by a gap.

How many of those slabs were cracked and uneven? Were there weeds growing up through the gaps? Were there trees close to the sides and hanging low overhead? The concrete itself could vary from smooth to rough, or go from paved, to dirt, to gravel.

All of these conditions are fairly simple to navigate for someone on foot, but cyclists traveling at mph can be seriously injured by any combination of the above. If you ride on a sidewalk at high speed, you threaten their safety. It can also be dangerous for you: when motorists drive on the road, they expect to meet other road users, and so they anticipate hazards.

We teach children to look both ways before crossing the street. Stop just shy of the sidewalk, look left, then right, then left again to make sure the way is clear.

In the city, always be alert, and make children aware that there are many alleyways. The golden rule? Approaching any alleyway or driveway, use caution, as though you are at an intersection.