Last Updated on February 11, 2019 by CCAR Staff
Q: Inland Empire resident Jack Badeau asked why bicycle riders are allowed to ride four and five people abreast on a busy street and, “force traffic to go around them.” He said it’s frustrating when bicyclists don’t stop for red lights or stop signs.
A: It’s a fact of life that drivers of motor vehicles and bikes must share the roads and be mindful of each other. That being said, the California Vehicle Code says bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers of motor vehicles, and that includes stopping at red lights and for stop signs. So, bicyclists should be stopping or they are breaking the law.
If four or five bicyclists are riding abreast to the point that cars are forced to go around them, it’s certainly dangerous and illegal. The bicyclists could be cited for violating CVC Section 21202 or impeding traffic (check CVC 22400). Bike riders going slower than traffic also are supposed to ride in the same direction as traffic (with some exceptions) and stay in designated bike lanes where bike lanes are present.
On the Road reached out to the California Bicycle Coalition on this question and received an interesting response from Jamie Smith, the organization’s administrative manager.
Smith’s take is that the issue of whether two bicyclists can ride abreast remains in question in California because the Uniform Vehicle Code says, “Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a laned roadway, shall ride within a single lane.”
Smith said some states explicitly have a law against riding two abreast, but California does not, so two riders can ride next to each other in a bike lane. However, Smith noted, some officers might defer to California Vehicle Code 21202, above, which says bicyclists have to be as close to the right-hand curb as is practicable.
Here is what we think: If in doubt, follow the CVC, NOT the Uniform Vehicle Code. The Uniform Vehicle Code isn’t truly the law, it’s a set of traffic rules prepared decades ago by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances, a private nonprofit organization. The extent to which this code is still used varies by each state. It was last revised in 2000, according to our research.
Caltrans Spokeswoman Terri Kasinga said Caltrans follows the CVC and the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
“We are not familiar with the Uniform Vehicle Code and do not use the criteria,” she said.
That should erase any doubt that the CVC is the law to follow in California.
Q: Jimmie Satterfield of Norco also had a question about the carpool lanes. Satterfield said he and his wife recently purchased a 40-foot motor home, and he wants to know if their motor home carrying two passengers, with a single axle in the rear, can be driven in the HOV lanes.
A: We have some good news for the Satterfields. Their motorhome is allowed in the carpool lane as long as there are at least two occupants in the vehicle, CHP Officer Ramon Duran confirmed.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@pe.com or call 951-368-9670.
