Whether commuting to work or riding for pleasure, bicyclists face some significant challenges while riding on Pennsylvania roads. A major contributing factor to this problem is that many motorists do not know how to interact with cyclists. Others essentially ignore their presence. Either of these approaches can easily lead to collisions and near-collisions that result in serious injuries for cyclists.
The fact is, cyclists on Pennsylvania roads have the same rights and responsibilities as powered vehicles under most circumstances. This means not only that motorists must generally treat bicycles in the same manner as they would treat another car but also that cyclists must obey nearly all the same traffic laws as cars:
- Cyclists must obey stop signs and traffic lights and must travel in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic.
- When a car and a bicycle meet at an intersection, the same rules apply for determining who has the right of way as would for two cars.
- Cyclists must signal turns and lane changes using the commonly accepted hand signals.
- When approaching a bicycle from behind, a car must not pass the bicycle until it is safe to do so, regardless of the bicycle’s speed.
The relationship between cars and bicycles needs to be one of mutual respect and caution in order to avoid serious and preventable accidents in the future. Motorists need to understand that they are not free to simply ignore cyclists and can be held liable when their carelessness leads to injury. Pennsylvania bicycle accident lawyers can help injured cyclists assert their rights and get the compensation they deserve.
