First Lexington Scouting Group

Bicycling is a great way to get around. It's fun, it gets your body moving and helps you stay healthy and it doesn't pollute the air or make climate change worse. But bikes have to share the roads with cars and trucks. 

You don't have to obey all the rules and laws that cars do, do you? It's only a bicycle, right?

Very wrong.

Under the law, your bicycle is a vehicle, just like cars, trucks, motorcycles and horses-and-buggies. We all share the same public road so we have to all use the same rules.  Obeying the traffic laws will help but you still have to be aware that not all drivers - or other bike riders - will always obey the rules of the road.

Much of the information below comes from this Ontario government web site. "HTA" stands for Highway Traffic Act (which covers all public roads, not just  highways) and the number after HTA is the section of the law that applies. There may be extra costs besides the actual fine mentioned.

Ride in the right place on the road

• HTA 147 - Slow moving traffic travel on right side

any vehicle moving slower than the normal traffic speed should drive in the right-hand lane, or as close as practicable to the right edge of the road except when preparing to turn left or when passing another vehicle. For cyclists, you must ride far enough out from the curb to maintain a straight line, clear of sewer grates, debris, potholes, and parked car doors. You may occupy any part of a lane when your safety warrants it. Never compromise your safety for the convenience of a motorist behind you. Set fine: $85.00

READ CAREFULLY AND RIDE WHERE IT IS SAFEST:

So, generally, you may occupy any part of a lane when your safety is at stake. If you are riding too close to the right edge of the road you will be riding over grates and garbage and glass, sometimes into potholes that can twist your handlebars out of your control. So to be safer- though it may not seem like it at first, you may be safer riding up to a meter from the curb. This will place you away from most obstacles on the edge of the road and more in the vision of drivers. But if you are nervous about being that close to cars, that is understandable because not all drivers are paying attention, or the sun may be in their eyes so they can't see you, so you should ride where it is safest.

That may be on the sidewalk.

Often there will be a municipal (city) law that says it is illegal to ride a bike with 24 inches (about 60 centimetres) or larger wheels on the sidewalk. We all share the public sidewalks too!

• I had a conversation with a Regional Police Officer about this question: If the traffic or road is not safe, do you ride your bike on the road or on the sidewalk where you may break a municipal bylaw? The officer's advice? Ride where it is safest. If that means you must ride on the sidewalk then you must ride on the sidewalk. It is very unlikely anyone will object if you ride safely on the sidewalk and be considerate of other people on the sidewalk. Slow down when coming up to someone, especially if you approach then from behind. It is best to get off your bike and walk it past that person. If you startle them they may jump the wrong way and crash into you or twist an ankle or otherwise get injured. They may have an I-pod going and may not hear your bell so do not assume they can hear you approaching. So try to get their attention with a bell or horn and pass as slowly and carefully as possible.

Helmets

• HTA 104 - Helmets

Every cyclist under the age of eighteen must wear an approved bicycle helmet. Parents or guardians shall not knowingly permit cyclists under sixteen to ride without a helmet. Set fine: $60.00

To check a proper fit: (from Government of Ontario site)

• · There should be two finger widths between your eyebrows and the helmet.
• · The straps should be flat against the face.
• · The side straps should meet just below the ear making a V-shape under your ear lobe.
• · The chin strap should be fastened snugly with enough room to fit one finger between your chin and the strap.
• · Use the sizing pads provided with the helmet to adjust the fit.

Graphic courtesy of United States Consumer Product Safety Commission with permission.

Here's a link to the City of Toronto site showing you how to fit a helmet on your noggin.

OK, a quick lesson in the laws of... physics. If you fall, you will go down. If you get hit by a car - and you have no control over that - you will go down. And your head will hit things and get hit by things- hard things. The bike frame, a car, the asphalt road, the concrete sidewalk. It takes less than one second to go from riding along to your head slamming against something much, much harder than your head. Guess which one will break- head or road? And one second is not enough time to get off your bike, run home and put your helmet on before you smash it- you need to be prepared. And what about those who ride along with a helmet rattling on top of their heads but not clipped on? More physics, folks. The helmet falls off as you fall down. And what good is a helmet that you carry in your hand as you ride? Worse than useless because it might interfere with your breaking or steering and cause you to fall.

• Now, a confession.  A few years ago I was at a Scout camp near Tobermory. My only transportation is a bike so it came up with all the camp gear. But I made a mistake- I could not find my helmet when everyone was ready to leave for camp so I left home without my helmet. It's not illegal for someone over 18 to not wear a helmet. But it is pretty stupid. A few days later, I was about to leave the camp on my bike and unknown to me, someone had put up a chain fence across the driveway. I immediately slammed on my brakes... and went face first into the gravel. With no helmet. I discovered a couple of things that moment. I should have taken a few minutes to find my helmet when I had the chance. I found out that, while gravel is still softer and squishier than concrete or asphalt road, it still hurts. I also found out that you do not need to fall far off a bike to get injured and you do not need to be going fast to be injured. Besides breaking my $400.00 eyeglasses, it did a number on my face, other Scouters had to take me to the hospital and it cost the health system some tax money for the hospital visit. And I was not 'real pretty' for a long time! I would likely have damaged my eyeglasses and scratched up my chin if I had a helmet on, but not much worse. But if the ground had been concrete sidewalk  or asphalt road, I may not have been conscious when taken to the hospital. I do not know if really serious injury inside my head would have happened or not. But that $30.00 helmet would  improved my odds a lot.
• Here's a picture taken of me two days later.It's not a high resolution picture but trust me, I looked worse than this shows and felt worse than it shows!

Crosswalks and intersections:

• HTA 140(1) 144(29) - Crosswalks

yield or stop for pedestrians at crosswalks. Set fine: $85.00

• HTA 140(6)/144(29) - No riding in crosswalks (not just the "pedestrian crosswalks" with lights and signs, but any place pedestrians cross a road- pretty much any intersection!)

Walk your bike when crossing at a crosswalk. Set fine: $85.00

When using a crosswalk at an intersection, walk your bike across the street . It's important to get off your bike and walk it across the intersection instead of riding across. Often people think that this is a particularly dangerous zone, the crosswalk, and it can be. So they figure they'll ride across it and get out of the crosswalk area quickly. But think about it from the drivers point of view! If you are in a car and come to a stop at a crosswalk, you will see people approach and walk across the crosswalk.  But what if someone comes flying across the crosswalk on a fast moving bike? There is no time for the driver to see you and no time for the driver to react and you may end up under the wheels. Cyclists need to become pedestrians when they are crossing the street at a crosswalk. As well, dismounting (takes 2 seconds!) and walking across the intersection lets you see the driver's face - and they can see you....but wait! What if they cannot see you? Often drivers are in such a hurry, if they have stopped at an intersection and want to turn right, they will be ready to turn right but are watching traffic only on the left side. Suddenly they get a break in traffic coming from the right and they quickly start to turn right without looking to see if you are there! I wish I had a nickel for every time I nearly got run over by a car driver who was looking to his or her left but did not see me on the right, before they started moving.

Traffic Signs and signals are for all traffic- bikes included

• HTA 144/136 - Traffic signals and signs

stop for red lights and stop signs and comply with all other signs. Set fine: $85.00

Stop at stop signs and obey all the other traffic signs. You may notice that many bike riders will not come to a full stop at a stop sign. Yet that is what the law requires you to do. Why? Even if you slow down but still go through stop signs you are still putting your life in danger and may cause an accident between cars when they react to a cyclist who did not obey the rules. And you do not want to cause an accident- especially if you get caught between cars.

But officer... I was only going one way!

• HTA 153 - One-ways streets

ride in the designated direction on one-way streets. Set fine: $85.00

If you are cycling on a one-way street you must go only the one way the sign says, the same as the cars. If you have dismounted and therefore are a pedestrian, you may walk the opposite direction but as a cyclist, you are traffic so go the same way as the traffic.

Signalling

• HTA 142 - Signalling a turn

before turning, look behind you and signal your turn. Cyclists can use their right arm to signal a right turn. Set fine: $85.00

Before you turn, let people know where you are about to go... signal! Check over your shoulder to make sure it's clear and then signal to indicate your turns. The left turn signal is the left arm extended straight out. (One reason to check over your shoulder is to make sure there are no other cyclists - or other traffic -that your arm will hit.) For right turns, use your left arm straight out to the elbow, then straight up, to form a capital "L" shape. Or extend your right arm to signal a right turn.

Riding in traffic

There are some mighty big vehicles on the road! Here's how to bike around them.

This link shows both common bike riding safe techniques and advanced techniques for the very experienced rider. Remember, always keep your safety in mind.

Not only cars must stop for school buses. So must bikes and all traffic on the road

• HTA 175 (12) - Stopped school buses

stop for stopped school buses when the upper alternating red lights are flashing and the stop arm is out. Set fine: $400.00

Be on the right bike with the right equipment

• Get the right sized bike
• Safety check for your bike

Properly equipping you and your bicycle:

Helmets - It is the law in Ontario for every cyclist eighteen (18) years of age and under to wear an approved bicycle helmet. It's common sense for parents to wear one even if the law does not make them - you can probably make them!

Lights - There must be a white light on the front and a red light or a reflector on the back. The lights must be turned on at least 1/2 hour before sunset and at least 1/2 hour after sunrise.  And  any time in between of course! That is the bare minimum. Flashing red lights at the rear will often be see easier at night - so you will be too. If your white light at the front flashes, be sure it is aimed downward a bit so it does not flash into drivers eyes.

Reflective tape - A bicycle must be equipped with white reflective tape on the front forks and red reflective tape on the rear forks.

Bell - Your bike must be equipped with a bell or horn in good working order. Some pedestrians seem to think that you are honking your horn or ringing your bell to scare them or they feel as if you are telling them to get out of your way! But it's not that- you are just alerting them that you are there so don't go wild on the noise. Make a sound before you are so close to them that it's too late for them to react; and be ready for them to sometimes step suddenly to one side of another. Slow down if you are passing a pedestrian and go onto the grass nearby if you can safely do that. And don't forget that many pedestrians can't hear you because of their earphones!

Brakes - Your bicycle must have at least one brake system on the rear wheel. And just like on a car, the brakes must be kept in good working order.

Identification - Cyclists must identify themselves when stopped by the police for breaking traffic laws. The police officer will ask you for your correct name and address.

Passengers - No passengers are allowed on a bicycle designed for one person. No-one on the handlebars, no-one on the seat while you pedal standing up. It's dangerous and illegal. And yes, you can get fined if you break any of these laws.