Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Questions for bicyclist
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
November 19, 2010 at 4:20 am #597042
hammerheadParticipantPlease note I am not RANTING:
I at times have to drive a very big F250, the side mirrors stick out a bit. Now when I can I will go left to pass as to not hit you upside the head. At times I can not ie. on coming traffic. So if a bicyclist is supposed to follow the rules of a motorized vehicles, when you are holding up more than 5 vehicles are you not supposed to pull over? I experienced this and short of hitting the biker, I can not pass, there is a line of cars backed up. What is your responsibility?
November 19, 2010 at 4:54 pm #708654
KBearParticipantBicyclists have no more right to hold up traffic than any other vehicle on the road.
November 19, 2010 at 5:20 pm #708655
SueParticipantWhatever the law might be about it, I would think it would be difficult for a bicyclist to know that they are holding up traffic since they do not generally have rear/side mirrors like cars do.
November 19, 2010 at 5:36 pm #708656
SmittyParticipantNovember 19, 2010 at 5:46 pm #708657
AndyParticipantCyclists pay attention – we tend to look back pretty regularly. But cyclists are like every other group of people in every category on Earth – some behave differently than others. Some will find a way to get out of the way, some will genuinely enjoy angering the drivers, and some will just not really notice.
Hammerhead, the best thing for you to do in your situation is be patient. It may suck a bit, but it’s the safe thing to do. More than likely, the cyclist will get out of the way as soon as he can.
November 19, 2010 at 6:05 pm #708658
HuindekmiParticipantYou are correct, KBear. Bicyclists do not have any more rights than other vehicles to hold up traffic.
RCW 46.61.427
“On a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe because of traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow moving vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in a line, shall turn off the roadway wherever sufficient area for a safe turn-out exists, in order to permit the vehicles following to proceed. As used in this section a slow moving vehicle is one which is proceeding at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place.”
So, the next time you see a bicyclist on a two-lane highway who is holding up traffic, be certain to ask them to pull over.
But the law does not apply to city streets.
November 19, 2010 at 6:30 pm #708659
AlParticipantGood question. Below are some rights and responsibilities pertaining to both drivers and cyclists:
The overtaking vehicle (truck) must yield to the right of way of the vehicle in front of them.
Section 11.53.200 OVERTAKING A VEHICLE ON THE LEFT. The operator of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left of such overtaken vehicle at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.
A bicycle is considered a vehicle even if said bicycle is not as fast as a motor vehicle. And because of the difference there are special exceptions to the road rules that pertain to cyclists.
Section 11.44.020 RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF RIDER. Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to a driver of a vehicle, except as to the special regulation of this chapter and except as to those provisions of the Traffic Code which by their nature can have no application.
A cyclist can choose to ride more to the left, or even in the center of the lane if cyclist determines hazards exist. In Seattle, this is a problem – bike lanes and routes often are located on streets with parking. It’s dangerous to ride too close to parked cars (all cyclists, including myself, have experienced a dooring and they are to be avoided since they can cause one to fall into to traffic lane – Avalon is a good example, or southbound Fauntleroy), debris, lack of a shoulder (Andover by the gym), poor road conditions (holes and cracks that car/truck tires can drive over can pose a serious hazard to cyclists – Delridge or Sylvan Way by the Home Depot as an example), etc.
Section 11.44.040 RIDING ON ROADWAYS. Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed slower than the normal and reasonable flow of motor vehicle traffic thereon shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane AS IS SAFE, except as may be appropriate while preparing to make or while making turning movements, or while overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction. A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway that carries traffic in one direction only and that has two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near to the left side of the left through lane AS IS SAFE. A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway may utilize the shoulder of the roadway or any specifically designated bicycle lane if such exists.
Now, the WA State law says this about slow moving vehicles: that that vehicle is not illegally holding up traffic illegally if the vehicle is moving at a speed required for safety. A bicycle can only move so fast, so cannot be expected to maintain the speed limit (remember it’s a limit, not a minimum). And again, the passing vehicle must err on the side of caution – the slower vehicle in front still has the right of way.
RCW 46.61.425 Minimum speed regulation — Passing slow moving vehicle. (1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law: PROVIDED, That a person following a vehicle driving at less than the legal maximum speed and desiring to pass such vehicle may exceed the speed limit, subject to the provisions of RCW 46.61.120 on highways having only one lane of traffic in each direction, at only such a speed and for only such a distance as is necessary to complete the pass with a reasonable margin of safety.
As for pulling over for 5 or more vehicles; what is a “highway” per WA state?
RCW 47.04.010 Definitions….(11) “Highway.” Every way, lane, road, street, boulevard, and every way or place in the state of Washington open as a matter of right to public vehicular travel both inside and outside the limits of incorporated cities and towns;
These “highways” are not all city roadways. The roadway must be a State maintained and State identified highway to be classified as such (i.e. highway 99 which is more like a roadway but it’s a state route – do you see all slower moving motor vehicles keeping to the right on 99?). If the City maintains primary maintenance of the roadway, it’s not a highway and highway road rules do not necessarily apply.
RCW 47.04.020 Classification of highways. All public highways in the state of Washington, or portions thereof, outside incorporated cities and towns shall be divided and classified as state highways and county roads. All state highways and branches thereof shall be established by the legislature of the state of Washington by appropriate general location and termini. Any prior distinctions between highways as primary or secondary are hereby abolished. All powers granted to, or duties imposed upon, the department with regard to either primary or secondary state highways shall be construed to relate to all state highways. Whenever these terms are used, either jointly or independently, each shall be construed to include all state highways. All public highways in the state of Washington, or portions thereof, outside incorporated cities and towns, not established as state highways, are hereby declared to be county roads.
And
RCW 47.04.040 Title to rights-of-way vested in state. Upon and after April 1, 1937, all rights-of-way of any primary state highways, together with all appurtenances thereto, the right or interest in or to which was, or is, in any county, road district, township, local improvement district, or other highway or road district or political subdivision of the state of Washington shall be and the same is hereby transferred to and vested in the state of Washington for use in conjunction with such primary state highways under the department of transportation.
All public highways in the state of Washington which have been designated to be primary state highways or secondary state highways or classified as primary roads and which have been constructed and improved and maintained for a period of seven years prior to April 1, 1937, at the expense of the state shall operate to vest in the state of Washington all right, title, and interest to the right of ways thereof, including the roadway and ditches and existing drainage facilities, together with all appurtenances thereto and no informalities in the records of title to such public highways shall be construed to invalidate or vacate such public highways or to divest the state of Washington of any right, title and interest in the right-of-way thereof
RCW 46.61.427 Slow-moving vehicle to pull off roadway. On a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe because of traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow moving vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in a line, shall turn off the roadway wherever sufficient area for a safe turn-out exists, in order to permit the vehicles following to proceed. As used in this section a slow moving vehicle is one which is proceeding at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place.
Does waiting until it’s safe to pass slow you down for more than a few seconds, or even 30 seconds? Do those seconds or even a minute cost more than someone’s life? As a cyclist, I will pull over a wave drivers by if I feel that it’s safe for me to do so. I don’t want an impatient driver following me too closely any more than you want to be behind me. But sometimes it’s more dangerous for me to move further to the right and allow a driver to complete a “close pass.” In the end, it’s a matter of yielding to someone’s proper right of way, whether or not you want to. If not, you may be putting someone in unnecessary danger.
November 19, 2010 at 6:31 pm #708660
WSJMemberNovember 19, 2010 at 6:35 pm #708661
AlParticipantSee above. Highway has further definitions…
November 20, 2010 at 2:59 am #708662
hammerheadParticipantGod thank you.
November 24, 2010 at 4:13 am #708663
hooper1961Memberand how many attorneys did it take to write these rules/laws?
November 24, 2010 at 4:33 pm #708664
YardvarkMemberGood Point, Hooper.
It’s crazy to pretend that anyone knows all these rules.
Safety and civility first.
If you actually want to know how all these detailed laws play out in reality, there are a couple groups called “Spokespeople” who hold monthly rides for just that purpose.
They are really easy and friendly rides and they teach folks how to get around while working with traffic. For instance, they can tell (and show) you what to do when you’re on a bicycle and have a F-250 with extended side mirrors stuck behind you or if you’re an F-250 stuck behind a slow bicycle!
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.