Tips for Sharing Florida Road with Bicycles

If you’re like most Floridians, you spend a good amount of time on the road. Whether it’s driving to work or running errands, chances are you’ve spent some time sharing the road with cars — but what about bicycles?

tips-for-sharing-road-with-bicycles-Florida

Bicycles have been around for centuries, but their popularity has increased in recent years as people have become more health-conscious and environmentally friendly. Florida is a popular destination for bicyclists who enjoy the warm climate and diverse scenery. 

However, sharing the road with bicycles can be challenging for drivers, especially when they are not used to it. In fact, the popularity of using this type of transportation has increased the number of Florida bicycle accidents. How can you avoid such a thing? Keep on reading!

8 Tips for Sharing Florida Road with Bicycles

Florida is a popular destination for bicyclists, with miles of picturesque roads and coastal scenery. Sharing the road with bicycles can be a challenge for drivers, but following these eight tips can lessen Florida bicycle accidents and can help make the experience safer for everyone. 

1. Slow Down When You Are Passing Cyclists on the Road

That may seem obvious, but it’s not happening as much as it should for some reason. Give at least three feet between your car and a cyclist if you can’t give more — but you should be able to give them more room on most roads. 

If players drive below 45 mph, they will have no way to overtake bicycles without first stopping behind them, leading to two-lane behavior unless there is ample opportunity for regaining speed after overtaking.

2. Don’t Honk at Them 

If possible, do not honk your horn just because you’re annoyed that a cyclist is holding up traffic. It can startle the cyclist into losing control of the bike, even causing a crash or accident. 

3. Don’t Drive in the Bicycle Lane 

It’s illegal to do this in many places, but even where there’s no law against it, it can be frustrating for cyclists who are trying hard to use their bike lanes. 

Give cyclists room when you pass them. Bicycles riding on shoulders or roadways need more space than bicycles in bike lanes, so give at least three feet between a cyclist and a car passing them on a two-lane road or five feet on a multi-lane roadway.)

4. Don’t Expect All Cyclists To Be Experienced or Properly Equipped 

You would probably not like it if you were on a bike and everyone around you was honking their horn at you, throwing bottles of water at your head, flipping you off, etc., even though they had never ridden a bike before in their lives. 

Give cyclists the same courtesy that you’d want for yourself when you are driving your car — since drivers are still required to share the road with bicycles. Under Florida Statute 316.2065, bicyclists are entitled to use all public roads except limited access highways, where bicycles are prohibited unless used as part of another transportation mode like mass transit.

5. Be Patient With Cyclists Who Are Turning at Intersections 

Some cyclists will wait for a break in traffic even if there is no other car waiting, and others may not want to risk getting stuck in the middle of an intersection during a red light, so they’ll wait until it’s clear before making their turn. 

That might seem frustrating to impatient drivers who expect all cyclists to ride like motor vehicles (i.e., always obeying right-of-way laws), but remember that cyclists aren’t always able to predict when a crosswalk will be clear.

6. Obey the Speed Limit

Don’t drive in the bicycle lane at a speed that’s more than five miles per hour over the speed limit since cyclists may need to extend their travel time or distance by taking a slower route. If you’re above the speed limit and need to pass a cyclist, make sure there is enough space for your car on the other side before doing so.

7. Remember to Yield

When driving in a bike lane or shoulder, yield to cyclists as you would any other vehicle. That could mean slowing down and passing only when it’s safe to do so — just like you would with another car — before merging back into the regular traffic flow.

8. Always Drive Defensively

Remember, cyclists may be difficult to see, and they sometimes make mistakes by riding against traffic, riding on sidewalks instead of roadways, etc. If a cyclist makes a mistake that causes an accident (e.g., crossing an intersection when the light is red), it doesn’t automatically mean that they are at fault.

Conclusion

When you’re driving, you need to be aware of your surroundings — especially when there are bicycles on the road. It’s important for Florida motorists and bicyclists to share responsibilities as when they’re on public roads together. If you’re been in an accident in Florida — especially if one of you were on a bicycle — contact bicycle accident lawyer from Fetterman Law today!