Cyclists riding on the wrong side of the road
Can you help settle an intra-spousal argument? What’s the legal position on cyclists who ride their bikes into oncoming traffic? I get the logic that they can see cars coming better, but shouldn’t they be required to follow the rules of the road like everyone else?
Auntie’s answer: I am always happy to resolve disagreements and hope that my response today is the end of this particular argument for you and your spouse. The issue of bicyclists and following the rules of the road has come up before in this column (see Cyclists and obeying the Traffic Law and Drinking and riding a bicycle).
As with those other questions, the important point is that whether you are driving a car or riding a bicycle, the same rules apply: You are required to follow the Traffic Law and will be liable for the offences contained therein if you don’t.
Basically, that means as cars legally (and illegally) go, so do bicycles. As a few examples, cyclists cannot go through red lights, cannot ride when under the influence of alcohol and can certainly not travel on the wrong side of the road.
I, like you, can acknowledge the reasons why bicyclists may prefer riding against traffic. However, as many drivers have all too often experienced, turning into the road to find a cyclist unexpectedly coming at you from the wrong way is, not to put too fine a point on it, a deadly accident waiting to happen.
Category: Ask Auntie, Traffic Questions
I hit one on the wrong side of the road as I pulled out of the gas station. He flew across the bonnet of my car. Jumped up and grabbed his bike apologizing as his friend cussed at me. I made sure he was okay and then yelled at his a-hole pal that they were in the wrong.
No damage luckily but I would have felt awful the rest of my life because of their decision to make their own rules.
You need to consider divorce if one of you is that stupid.
just another law not enforced by the rcips. end of story.
Never much of a problem pre Ivan IIRC, bit like chickens…..
I witnessed an accident on west bay road happening exactly the way you describe it Auntie….fortunately, nobody was hurt. I wonder if anyone would say anything if I decided to ride my scooter or motorbike on the wrong side of the road. Or, as some cyclists do at a red traffic light (get off the bicycle) and push it through the red light…I could switch my car off, put it in neutral and push it through the red light….Mr. Bean did it ! ?
Then there are some bicyclist who are dark skinned and wear dark clothes and do not have lights or reflectors – it is so difficult to see them until the car driver approaches them quite close. What can be the solution to this? Same goes for walkers on the road – after sunset, it becomes very difficult to spot the walkers who wear dark clothing and have no reflectors on them.
A curfew on black people perhaps?
No, just require light clothing and a brilliant broad smile during nighttime hours!! Problem solved! 🙂
Trump reloaded…that you are my friend!!