South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
What drivers, cyclists should know to coexist
The roads are tense. Some drivers think bicyclists get in their way and willfully ignore the rules of the road. Some cyclists see drivers as hostile and combative, placing them in danger of death when they are just trying to get to work or get some exercise. Can’t we all just get along?
Bicycle-car collisions are a longstanding problem in South Florida, but several recent crashes have made it clear that change is needed.
On Thursday, a bicyclist was hit and killed by a car in downtown Fort Lauderdale during morning rush hour. And last month, eight cyclists were struck on State Road A1A in Palm Beach County after an SUV veered across the center line of the road. At least six were hospitalized. There are no bike lanes on that popular stretch, but even when there are bike lanes, many motorists and cyclists are unsure how to deal with each other.
Who has the right-of-way? Who should pass whom? What should everyone do if there’s a crash?
Unfortunately, collisions are a constant, all over the state: Florida has the dubious honor of having the most bicycle deaths in the United States since 2017, according to the League of American Bicyclists.
Here’s how to handle some common bike-car interactions, but the most important behavior we all must remember is to be courteous and respectful. We have to share our roads, whether we like our companions or not.
What Bicyclists Should Know Bicyclists must obey the same traffic laws as motorists.
This includes waiting for lights to turn green, using lights at night, and riding in the same direction as traffic.
Florida law allows bicyclists to ride up to two abreast, with several exceptions.
If the lane is wide enough, cyclists may ride two abreast. If the lane is too narrow or riding side by side impedes traffic, the bicyclists must move to single file, with some exceptions such as trying to avoid a road hazard. They can only ride more than two abreast when there’s room on a bicycle path.
Riding more than two across is not legal. Driver Robin Miller of West Palm Beach described a recent stressful encounter as she tried to drive past a large group of bicycle riders.
“Not only do these cyclists ride five abreast on A1A impeding traffic, if you dare flash your lights or do a light horn beep to get them to move over, (you get a) barrage of filthy language, fingers, and getting your car slammed by a fist if they can get close enough,” Miller said.
Drivers are allowed to pass bicycles.
A 2023 Florida law says motorists should signal, pass to the left at a safe distance and not return to the right side of the road until their vehicle is well past the bicycle.
Drivers are not allowed to leave the scene of a bicycling collision.
If they leave, they can be hit with severe penalties, including possible prison time, according to a Florida law passed by the Legislature in 2014.
What Drivers Should Know Bicyclists do not have to ride on the shoulder of the road.
Florida law requires cyclists to ride in a designated bike lane or on the right side of the road, but there are many exceptions, especially if a lane is narrow or the cyclist sees a dangerous situation approaching. Hazards on Florida roadways can
include everything from dead animals to appliances falling off trucks.
Don’t get mad at cyclists for not riding on the sidewalk or other perceived infractions.
So many bike riders have reported fraught encounters with motorists. “The immense recklessness as it pertains to cyclists amazes me,” said bicyclist Ria Gill, who recently moved to South Florida from Chicago. “I have almost been hit more than once when people drive out of parking lots and do not stop at the stop sign before entering traffic. I also find that even when a cyclist has the right of way (via walk symbol), turning vehicles do not stop to allow cyclists to cross.”
Bicyclists are allowed to ride on our roads. According to the Florida Bicycle Association: “Riding on the sidewalk is unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians. Cyclists on the sidewalk expose YOU, the motorist, to a higher risk of hitting them when you are entering or leaving the road — and you are likely to be at fault in such a crash.” The exception is child bicyclists, who should stay on the sidewalk.
Don’t open your car door without checking for a bicyclist coming by.
Many collisions have happened when an unsuspecting motorist opens a car door and a bike crashes into the car.
Motorists should maintain 3 feet of clearance.
“Drivers don’t seem to understand that they share the road with bicycles in a single-lane roadway,” said cyclist Sandy Walter, who said she recently moved out of state from Sunrise in part because she “can’t trust the drivers.”
“I have been ‘buzzed’ (a driver bullying me off the road), loudly honked and cursed at, and intentionally intimidated,” she added.
Florida law says motorists must separate themselves from bicyclists by at least 3 feet when driving alongside or passing them. It may be hard to tell how far 3 feet is when you’re the driver, so just give them a lot of space.
Avoid using high beams.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says to keep your high-beam headlights turned down when you see a bicyclist approaching.
Watch out for bicyclists as they turn right and left.
The Florida Bicycle Association advises cyclists to leave the bike lane and enter the general traffic lane to turn right. This is because a driver could be surprised by a bicyclist making a sudden right turn from the bike lane; the motorist can see the bicyclist more easily from the general roadway. Florida law says a bicyclist turning left is allowed full use of the general traffic lane after checking for cars, signaling, moving to the center of that lane and waiting for the light to turn green.
Whether it’s a right turn or left turn, yield to the bicyclist and make your turn behind the bike. Be patient and move with care. We want everyone to arrive home alive today.