Pittsburgh Bicycle Laws

[martygreene]

More Laws Yinz Should Know About

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/BIKE/WEB/bikelaws.htm

Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes: Chapter 35 - SPECIAL VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS

Comments

[martygreene]

It's for everyone's safety that these are in order. If I hit a cyclist because they aren't following the law, it doesn't mean my car insurance doesn't go up, and doesn't mean that if I kill the cyclist that I don't have to go to court/jail even if it's not my fault.

Cyclists not following the law are a danger to themselves and others on the road. People have no issue getting pissed at auto drivers who don't follow the law- but when it comes to bikes they get all up in arms.

I live with an avid commuter cyclist. Many of my friends are commuter cyclists, some of whom moved cross-country on bicycles. I have nothing wrong with cyclists, but I do have something wrong with near heart attacks when I come THISCLOSE to killing someone by no fault of mine.

I also have issue with being knocked over (and into motor traffic) by cyclists on the sidewalk not watching where they are going or what they're doing.

If people want to make drama, they're being short-sighted and silly.

[_aqualung_]

My boss was broadsided by a cyclist on Christmas Day. She was a mental wreck for days after until we convinced her that it wasn't her fault. Cyclists aren't required to have insurance, so the damage to her truck comes out of her pocket.

I'm a cyclist, and I follow traffic laws. I have lighting for night time, I use signals, and I stop at red lights and stop signs. I can't help it, I'm addicted to living.

[jessieknits]

Thanks for reinforcing common sense.

There's nothing like coming upon a cyclist wearing all black, no helmet, and nothing reflective on their clothing or bicycle, at night.

Its gotta be frustrating for the good cyclists who get doored and otherwised messed with in pittsburgh, to see the people who are inviting injury.

[martygreene]

I actually witnessed a pretty horrid accident the other day. Driving through South Side at night, down Sarah. Came along... 18th? 20th? The double wide cross street... Car opposite me departs their stop sign at the same time as I do, following the rules. Down the hill comes (out of nowhere) a bicyclist in all black with no helmet, lights, or reflectors. Cyclist hits the other car at FULL SPEED, impacting the other car smack in the middle of the driver's door. Cyclist flips up and over the car, smashes the windshield of the car with his face, and lands on his back on the road

[pinkitypinkpink]

Wow, how obnoxious. I hope you were able to describe him for the accident report!

[jessieknits]

*!*

that story left me so speechless it took me till now to comment on it.

[perfectstar]

Just wanted to take a minute and thank you for tagging. It seems sometimes like no one else [in this or any other community] does (though I realize that's probably not true).

[martygreene]

I had to do it after the fact- the problem with community tagging is that you can't see a list of tags when you make the post- so proper tagging is nigh impossible. Often the after-the-fact tagging page fails to load too. I blame most community lack of tags on poor UI execution.

[perfectstar]

I completely agree.

[pallmalls]

Yeah, when I posted my parking rant, I had to open the "search this community by tags" page in a separate tab to find the right ones before I posted it. LJ gets an F- for UI design there.

You forgot to bold a section

[pallmalls]

Every person riding a pedalcycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this title, except as to special provisions in this subchapter and except as to those provisions of this title which by their nature can have no application.

The most common violation I see are cyclists failing to obey the rules of the road governing vehicles, like stopping for red lights and stop signs, not turning left on red, etc...

Re: You forgot to bold a section

[martygreene]

Exactly- which is why I bolded that a bicycle is considered a vehicle. People think that "shall be subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this title" means that a bicycle is somehow different is it's applicability than a motor vehicle.

Bike, car, scooter, doesn't matter. If it's a wheeled mode of transport that goes on the road, it follows the rules of the road along with everyone else.

As I said above- sometimes I think that bicycles should have license plates too, so that they can be reported and ticketed the same as everyone else. If I see a jackass in a car cause an accident or do something illegal, I can call the cops with the license plate number. With a cyclist I'm fucked if they hit and run.

Re: You forgot to bold a section

[pallmalls]

Crap, sorry. I missed the middle bit where you actually did bold it when I PageDowned.

However, it can't be stressed enough. Most of the scofflaw cyclists I know of espouse only the first half of that item -- they are vehicles which have every right to be on the road -- while conveniently neglecting the part about being required to obey all the same laws as vehicles, too.

Re: You forgot to bold a section

[unixd0rk]

With a cyclist I'm fucked if they hit and run.

well statistically the person in the car will hit and run the cyclist in the real world.

physically, if a cyclist hits you with a force that isn't enough to render their bike useless, they probably didn't hit you very hard anyway. of course, this would never warrant the cyclist just taking off, but do you seriously encounter suicide-bikers who are intent on slamming their vehicle into yours often?

my experience as a cyclist in the city is to avoid cars at all cost so i don't get killed. jus' sayin'

[rapier1]

I'm sort of disappointed that you didn't post this part

(c) Slower than prevailing speeds.-- A pedalcycle operated at slower than prevailing speed shall be operated in accordance with the provisions of Section 3301(b), unless it is unsafe to do so

[martygreene]

True, you should do your best to keep up a decent pace on the road. This doesn't mean however that you should bike on the sidewalk or right along the parked cars. A bicycles place is on the road, in a lane. It's the cyclists job to do his best to keep up a good pace. Most roads are one lane per direction, so that makes the above somewhat moot, since there is only the right hand lane to be in, no matter how you slice it.

[rapier1]

Then we have different ideas as to what "or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway" means.

Maybe some bicyclists need 3 feet of space on all sides to feel comfortable. Personally, I think they should get off the road, if they can't ride in a single lane with cars passing them then they should stay off the road.
Even as someone who got arrested protesting for safer streets for bicyclists I still feel that way.

[martygreene]

You need to be safely out of the "door zone". A cyclist should be able to keep up decently with traffic, and firmly take a lane.

You need space to evade a possible unexpected opening door, vehicle pulling out, child running out into the street, car swerving, etc. If you're THISCLOSE to the cars parked, you're *going* to get creamed, or cream someone. that's not safe to anyone.