that no person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within the Central Business District except on those sidewalks expressly designated by Order of the Mayor. Drivers may cross a double-yellow no-passing line in order to provide space to a bicyclist while passing them if it is safe to cross the double-yellow line. 55-8-136(b); 55-8-199; 55-50-311; 55-9-105. In Oregon bicycles are vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles, are vehicles for the purposes of the vehicle code, and when the term vehicle is used the term shall be deemed to be applicable to bicycles. Source: Haw. The law defined a low-speed electric bicycle as A two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p. In addition, every driver must exercise proper precaution upon observing any child or any obviously confused, incapacitated or intoxicated person. There are currently no national standards for laws protecting vulnerable road users, but the League of American Bicyclists has drafted a Model Vulnerable Road User statute,which you can findhere. Ch.90, 8M; Mass. Arkansas does not have any vulnerable road user laws at this time. 169.222(4)(e). No local authority may require that bicycles be operated on sidewalks. In Maryland bicycles are vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles and a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle as provided in Title 21 of the Maryland Code, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. When treating a stop sign as a yield sign, a bicyclist must slow down to a reasonable speed and yield the right of way to any vehicle in or approaching the intersection so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard. The laws regulating the operation of bicycles in the state of North Dakota are generally found in Title 39 of the North Dakota Century Code (N.D. The laws regulating the operation of bicycles in the state of South Carolina are generally found in Title 56 of the South Carolina Code of Laws (S.C. Code Ann. The Alabama Bicycling Coalition has a compilation of laws relevant to bicycles which provides direct links to the Alabama Code and is more comprehensive than this page, it is available here: http://www.alabike.org/code.html, Alaska does not have a law that sets a specific distance for a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle. Mississippi requires that every bicyclist operating a bicycle, at a speed less than the speed of traffic, upon a roadway ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following conditions: Mississippi does not have a statute that specifically authorizes or prohibits the operation of a bicycle upon a sidewalk. In Michigan bicycles are not vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles, but a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle as provided in Chapter 257 of the Michigan Code, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. For more information on such plates please visit: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/vehicles/personal/special/harley-davidson.htm. After slowing or stopping, the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any traffic using a roadway or approaching on another roadway that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.Source: Alaska Admin. A person shall not operate a bicycle along and upon a sidewalk or across a highway upon and along a crosswalk, where the use of bicycles is prohibited by official traffic control devices. An individual lawfully operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or a pedestrian crosswalk has all of the rights and responsibilities applicable to a pedestrian using that sidewalk or crosswalk. New York's law prohibiting driving while under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances is written so that it applies to motor vehicles and therefore does not directly apply to bicyclists. A person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or a crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian; A person may not ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk or a crosswalk where the use of a bicycle is prohibited by official traffic control devices. In California, Delaware and New Mexico, riders under 18 must wear a helmet. Texas does not provide any modifications to the requirement to come to a complete stop when directed to stop by traffic control devices and does not authorize bicyclists to disobey traffic lights that fail to detect bicyclists. In South Dakota bicycles are vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles. Montana provides that operator of a motor vehicle may not: Montana has no helmet law. The person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is: Less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or. The overtaking of a bicycle by a motor vehicle, or vice versa, is governed by general traffic laws and, in most circumstances, such overtaking must be done to the left at a safe distance. Compilation of laws by Iowa Bicycle Coalition: Iowa Department of Transportation Bike Resources: No person shall operate a motor vehicle on a public road or highway while using a wireless communications device to write, send or read a written communication; An instruction permit holder shall not operate a wireless communication device while driving a passenger car; A farm permit holder shall not operate a wireless communication device while driving a motor vehicle; and. The definition of motor vehicle does not include bicycles and a person operating a bicycle is a vulnerable user. However, a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of a driver of a vehicle, except those provisions that by their nature can have no application. Delaware requires that a bicyclist, traveling at a speed less than the speed of traffic, must ride as close as practicable to the right-hand edge of the roadway except under any of the following circumstances: Delaware allows bicycles to operate on sidewalks subject to the following rules: Sources: Del. It is legal for all persons of any age to operate a bicycle without wearing a helmet unless otherwise provided by a municipal regulation. 4501.01(A); 4511.01(A); 4511.55(A). A bicyclist may, but is not required to, ride on the shoulder of the roadway; A bicyclist may ride in a lane other than the right-hand lane if only one lane is available that permits the bicyclist to continue on his intended route; and. Stat. The National Conference of State Legislatures works to bring you up to date, real-time information about autonomous vehicle bills that have been introduced in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Vermont requires that no person open the door of a motor vehicle on the side nearest to moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with the movement of traffic. Bicycles should not be operated while intoxicated. Source: Mont. No person shall operate a bicycle upon or along a sidewalk or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk if such operation is prohibited by any ordinance of any city, town or borough or by any regulation of the State Traffic Commission. There are currently no national standards for laws protecting vulnerable road users, but the League of American Bicyclists has drafted a Model Vulnerable Road User statute,which you can findhere. Comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for one hundred twenty seconds; and. Louisiana requires that any person under the age of 12 riding a bicycle, as an operator or passenger, must wear a protective bicycle helmet. Code Ann., Transp. South Dakota does not require that bicyclists use any lane or path other than a normal vehicular traffic lane. However, motor vehicles and vehicles are defined to be the same under Idaho law and therefore Idaho's DUI law applies to bicycles. Minnesota requires that the operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on the roadway shall leave a safe distance, but in no case less than three feet clearance, when passing the bicycle and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle. To accomplish safe passing a motor vehicle may cross the center of the highway if the left side is clearly visible and free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance to permit overtaking and passing to be completed without interfering with the operation of any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction or of any vehicle overtaken. It is legal for all persons of any age to operate a bicycle without wearing a helmet unless otherwise provided by a municipal regulation. As a motorized bicycle rider, you must obey all traffic laws, including speed limits and rights-of-way. If a person operating a bicycle does those two steps they may proceed through a red light with caution. Nevada's law prohibiting driving while under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances is written so that it applies to vehicles and therefore does not directly apply to bicyclists. Fifty percent of the amount of such fine is to be deposited into a school zone safety account. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has clarified that the federal law does allow e-bikes to travel faster than 20 mph when using a combination of human and motor power. Stat. The governing authority may be petitioned to remove restrictions upon demonstration that the path has become inadequate due to capacity, maintenance, or other causes. ), available here http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1815&ChapterID=49. Arkansas has no helmet law. In all cases, the safe passing distance must not interfere with the safe operation of the bicycle. E-bikes are most frequently pedal-assist or muscle-assist, meaning the rider must be pedaling for the electric motor to engage. No person shall drive a motor vehicle with an image display device intended to be visible to the driver in a normal driving position when the vehicle is in motion and when restrained by the vehicle seat belts adjusted in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. No motor vehicle operated on the highways of this state shall be equipped with television-type receiving equipment so located that the viewer or screen is visible from the driver's seat; and. For more information on such plates please visit: http://www.jeffrothcyclingfoundation.org/. In Wyoming bicycles are vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles and a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of a driver of a vehicle, except for special regulations specific to bicycles and those provisions that by their nature can have no application. Stat. Bicycles should not be operated while intoxicated and operating a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances may result in severe punishments. Provide for the public sale or donation to a charitable organization of any bicycle that has been in the possession of the police or sheriff's department, unclaimed, for more than thirty days; Require every resident owner of a bicycle to obtain a license therefore and a license plate, tag, to be substantially attached to the bicycle; Prescribe the license fee, the license application forms and the license form; and. In addition, no person may leave a door of a vehicle open on the side of a parked vehicle so as to obstruct the movement of vehicular traffic. West Virginia does not provide any modifications to the requirement to come to a complete stop when directed to stop by traffic control devices and does not authorize bicyclists to disobey traffic lights that fail to detect bicyclists. 813.010; 801.590. In Rhode Island, bicycles are defined as vehicles. 23 1099; 1095a. In New Jersey, riders under 17 must wear a helmet. Louisiana does not provide any modifications to the requirement to come to a complete stop when directed to stop by traffic control devices and does not authorize bicyclists to disobey traffic lights that fail to detect bicyclists. In Illinois, bicycles are not defined as vehicles. Oklahoma, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Bicycling Coalition, offers Share the Road license plates. Tennessee traffic laws require bicyclists to: Ride on the right-hand side of the road with the same direction as traffic. Oklahoma provides that its state traffic laws shall be applicable and uniform throughout the state and that no local authority shall enact or enforce any ordinance, rule or regulation in conflict with the state traffic laws, but may adopt additional traffic regulations. Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee and D.C. require riders under age 16 to wear a helmet. The distance shall be presumed to be reasonable and prudent if it is at least 3 feet when the vehicle is traveling at 30 miles per hour or less, with one additional foot of clearance required for every 10 miles per hour above 30 miles per hour. New Jersey does not provide any modifications to the requirement to come to a complete stop when directed to stop by traffic control devices and does not authorize bicyclists to disobey traffic lights that fail to detect bicyclists. Arkansas has no laws that specifically regulate the riding of bicycles on a roadway aside from general traffic laws. In Connecticut bicycles are vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles and a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle as provided in the statutes relating to motor vehicles, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application and as otherwise provided in certain local ordinances. There are currently no national standards for laws protecting vulnerable road users, but the League of American Bicyclists has drafted a Model Vulnerable Road User statute, which you can find here. Stat. The laws regulating the operation of bicycles in the District of Columbia are generally found in the District of Columbia Municipal Code (D.C. Mun. Arizona requires that, when overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction, a person driving a motor vehicle shall exercise due care by leaving a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three feet until the motor vehicle is safely past the overtaken bicycle. Governor's Highway Safety Office Legal Resources: Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization Handbook for Motorists & Bicyclists: A person under 18 years of age may not operate a motor vehicle while using a wireless communications device; A person under 17 years of age who holds a restricted motorcycle license or moped license may not operate a motorcycle or moped while using a wireless communications device; An operator may not use a wireless communication device while operating a passenger bus with a minor passenger on the bus unless the passenger bus is stopped; and. When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized. New Hampshire's law prohibiting driving while under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances is written so that it applies to all vehicles and therefore applies to bicyclists. Any city or town may require that be licensed and may charge reasonable fees for such licensing. Roller skates;6. State law and common sense require that bicyclists drive like other vehicles. In addition, Kentucky regulations provide thata bicycle operated in a highway lane with other vehicle types shall keep to the right unless: (a) Preparing for and executing a left turn; (c) The lane is too narrow to be considered a shared lane. Transp. The laws regulating the operation of bicycles in the state of Ohio are generally found in Title 45 of the Ohio Revised Code (Ohio Rev. Rev. Stat. Virginia provides that the governing body of any county, city or town may, by ordinance, may require that any person 14 years of age or younger riding a bicycle, as an operator or passenger, must wear a protective bicycle helmet. Source:https://www.pmc.org/license-plate. Hawaii does not offer Share the Road license plates at this time. Ann. Mississippi currently has the following laws aimed at distracted driving, subject to limited exceptions: Source: Miss. In other words, the manufacturing and first sale of an e-bike is regulated by the federal government, but its operation on streets and bikeways lies within a states control. When turning left or avoiding hazards to safe cycling. Source: N.D. In addition, no person shall leave a door open on a side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers. The laws regulating the operation of bicycles in the state of Connecticut are generally found in the Connecticut General Statutes (Conn. Gen. Indiana does not require that bicyclists use any lane or path other than a normal vehicular traffic lane. West Virginia requires that every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. No pedals if powered solely by electrical energy (CVC 406 (a)). Gen. Laws. A person biking in a crosswalk must also yield to a person walking and give an audible signal when passing. A bicycle, or a device that is an extension of a bicycle such as an extend-a-bike, a bicycle trailer, or a child's bicycle seat;2. In Kansas bicycles are not vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles, but a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle as provided in Chapter 8 of the Kansas Statutes, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. New York currently has the following laws aimed at distracted driving, subject to limited exceptions: Source: N.Y. Veh. E-bikes vary widely in terms of shape and size, but the different types closely align with those of regular bicycles. However, a driver of a motor vehicle need not follow that requirement when: The driver of a motor vehicle may drive to the left of the center of a roadway to pass a person operating a bicycle proceeding in the same direction only if the roadway to the left of the center is unobstructed for a sufficient distance to permit the driver to pass the person operating the bicycle safely and avoid interference with oncoming traffic. Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Utah require helmets for those under age 18 operating or riding on a class three e-bike. When the driver is passing a bicyclist's right side and the person operating the bicycle is turning left. The laws regulating the operation of bicycles in the state of Alabama are generally found in Title 32 of the Code of Alabama (Ala. Code) available here http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/codeofalabama/1975/coatoc.htm. Nevada provides that any local authority may enact by ordinance traffic regulations which cover the same subject matter and which are not in conflict Nevada's traffic laws or regulations adopted pursuant thereto. Enforce ordinances by reasonable fines and penalties. Two motorized bicyclists may ride abreast of one another, but may not ride in the same lane as motor vehicles. At least 75% of the funds generated by the plates must go to: For more information on such plates please visit: http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/specialtytags/miscellaneous/share_the_road.html. A person riding a bicycle on a sidewalk, shared-use path, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, shall have all the rights and duties of a pedestrian under the same circumstances. Oregon protects vulnerable road users by providing increased penalties if the court determines that a person guilty of careless driving contributed to the serious physical injury or death of a vulnerable user of a public way: In addition, Oregon provides that the offense of vehicular assault of a bicyclist or pedestrian is a Class A misdemeanor which occurs if: Source: Or. Georgia currently has the following laws aimed at distracted driving, subject to limited exceptions: Source: Ga. Code Ann. Source: La. In Maine bicycles are not vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles, but a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Development by radicalDESIGNS. License or permit. Motorized bicycle need not be registered, titled, or display a license plate. Ann. Indiana does not have a law that sets a specific distance for a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle. Mississippi does not require that bicyclists use any lane or path other than a normal vehicular traffic lane. Source: Cal. New Jersey requires that every bicyclist must ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. In Arkansas bicycles are not vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles, but a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle. Wisconsin has no helmet law. When operating on a bicycle lane or bicycle path. Maine does not require that bicyclists use any lane or path other than a normal vehicular traffic lane. All these states have different laws regarding the operation of electric bicycles. Source: Md. State legislatures have begun to grapple with how to differentiate and define e-bikes and regulate their operation and equipment standards on roadways and trails in their respective states. 23 4(21) & (82); 1136. ), available here: http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/. E-bikes resemble traditional bicycles in both appearance and operation and do not function similarly to mopeds, scooters and other motorized vehicles. An operator of a motor vehicle may pass a bicycle traveling in the same direction in a no-passing zone only when it is safe to do so. However, a bicyclists using a sidewalk or crosswalk shall: A bicyclist operating on a crosswalk or sidewalk shall obey an official traffic control device applicable to a pedestrian unless otherwise directed by a police officer or other designated person. For more information on such plates please visit: http://www.bikewalkmississippi.org/BWMS/winabike/. Rev. ), available here http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/statutes.htm. A bicyclist operating on a crosswalk or sidewalk shall yield the right of way to a vehicle if crossing the road at a point other than within a marked crosswalk or withing an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Regulate and license the riding of bicycles and other similar vehicles upon or along the streets, alleys, highways, or other public grounds within its limits; Construct and maintain bicycle paths or roadways within or outside of and beyond its limits leading to or from the city or town; Establish and collect reasonable license fees from all persons riding a bicycle or other similar vehicle within its respective corporate limits; and. No law was found in Indiana that requires persons opening the door of a motor vehicle to do so in a reasonably safe manner that does not interfere with the movement of traffic. When a roadway is designated and signposted to carry traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, in which case a bicyclist may ride as near to the left-hand curb, on the edge of the roadway, or on the shoulder off of such roadway as practicable. In Indiana bicycles are not vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles, but a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle as provided in Article 9-21 of the Indiana Code, except for special regulations for bicycles in Article 9-21 and those provisions which by their nature can have no application. In addition, no person may leave a door open on any side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for any period longer than necessary to load or unload passengers. "Safe distance" as used in this section means no less than three feet [0.91 meters] clearance.