RULES OF THE ROAD

Austin is only gettin’ busier and our cycling community is only gettin’ bigger. Lucky for us, we’ve got legal experts and BC Ride Leaders Kevin Fish and Brad Houston to give us a run down on how to be better and safer stewards of the road. Safety isn’t always sexy but at Breakfast Club, it most certainly is.

Know Your Cycling Rights

Texas Transportation Code [paraphrased]:

1. §551.101(a) – A bicyclist has the rights and duties of a motor vehicle, unless by their nature they cannot apply to a bicyclist.

2. §551.103(a) – A bicyclist moving slower than traffic shall ride near the right edge the roadway, unless the lane is too narrow for a bike and car, then the cyclist can take the whole lane.

3. §551.103(c) – Bicyclists may ride two abreast if not impeding the flow of traffic on the roadway.

4. §551.104(b) – At night, (1) a front white light visible 500’ and (2) a rear red reflector visible with headlamps on high beams on from 50’ to 300’, or a red lamp on the rear visible from the distance of 500’.  

1. §541.401(5) – Nighttime means the period beginning one half hour after the sunset and ending one half hour before sunrise.  

5. §545.058(c)(3) – Bikes are exempted from the general prohibition against driving on shoulders.

Austin City Code/University of TX Regs:

1. §12-2-23 – A bicycle can be ridden on a sidewalk except on the UT Drag and UT sidewalks.  

2. §12-1-35 – When road conditions allow, cars and light trucks must give bikes 3 feet when passing; big trucks 6 feet.

What to do if you are hit on your bike?

1. Don’t move, you may have a spinal injury. (If in danger of being hit by traffic, use common sense.)

2. Call EMS and the police.

3. When in doubt, take the ambulance!

4. Wait for the police to arrive unless you are transported by EMS.

5. Obtain the driver’s name, address, phone #, driver’s license # and license plate #.

6. Obtain all witness’s names, addresses, phone #s, and license plate #s if applicable.

7. Get your version of the events into the Police Crash Report.

8. Document what happened, take pictures of the scene, the car involved, license plate of the car, and the driver.

9. Document your injuries by taking photographs of your injuries.

10. Preserve evidence, like your bike, damaged clothes, HELMET, etc.

11. Do not fix your bike or take it to a shop until you speak with an attorney first.

12. DO NOT talk to the driver’s insurance company before talking to an attorney.