Sharing the Road With Bicycles and Pedestrians: A Driver's Guide

Treat bicycles as vehicles

In most states, a person riding a bicycle on the road has the same rights and responsibilities as the driver of a vehicle. That means cyclists are allowed to use the travel lane, must obey traffic signals and signs, and are entitled to their space on the road. As a driver, you should expect to see bikes and treat them as legitimate traffic rather than obstacles.

Cyclists are harder to see and move at variable speeds, so scan for them especially at intersections, driveways, and when you are about to turn. A quick look does not always catch a bike, so make a habit of looking twice in areas where cyclists are common.

Give cyclists a safe passing distance

When you pass a bicycle, give it plenty of room. Many states require a minimum of three feet of clearance between your vehicle and the cyclist, and some require more, especially at higher speeds. Where the lane is too narrow to pass safely with that space, wait until it is clear to move partly or fully into the next lane to go around.

Pass slowly and predictably, and never squeeze past a cyclist in the same lane when there is not enough room. After passing, do not cut back in front of the bike too soon. A gust from a passing car or a sudden lane intrusion can knock a rider off balance, so leave space until you are well clear.

• Leave at least three feet when passing a cyclist, or more where required
• Change lanes to pass when the lane is too narrow to share
• Do not cut back in front of the bike until you are well clear
• Slow down and pass predictably, never squeeze by

Crosswalks and pedestrian right of way

Pedestrians generally have the right of way in marked and many unmarked crosswalks, and drivers must yield to them. When a pedestrian is in a crosswalk or stepping into one, stop and let them cross. Do not stop in the crosswalk itself, since that forces pedestrians, including wheelchair users and parents with strollers, into traffic to get around your car.

Be especially careful at intersections where you are turning, because a turning driver crosses the path of pedestrians in the crosswalk. Watch for people who are about to step off the curb, and never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk, since it may be stopped for someone you cannot see.

Bike lanes, turns, and parked cars

A bike lane is reserved for cyclists, marked by a solid line and bike symbols. Do not drive or park in a bike lane except where the law allows you to merge into it briefly to make a right turn, and only after yielding to any cyclist already in it. When turning right across a bike lane, signal early, check for bikes, and merge carefully.

Near parked cars, watch for opening doors and for cyclists who move left to avoid them. A rider may suddenly swing out to dodge a car door, so give bikes room when you pass a line of parked vehicles. When you park, check your mirror and over your shoulder before opening your own door so you do not door a passing cyclist.

School zones, children, and special care

Children are unpredictable pedestrians. They may dart into the street chasing a ball or step out from between parked cars without looking. In school zones and residential areas, slow down, obey reduced speed limits, and scan the sidewalks and curbs constantly. Stop for school buses with flashing red lights as your state requires, since children cross around them.

Show the same care for other vulnerable pedestrians: older adults who move slowly, people using canes or wheelchairs, and anyone who may not see or hear you. A driver who slows down and stays alert in these areas prevents the kind of low-speed crash that can still cause serious injury.

Common mistakes to avoid

The mistakes that hurt cyclists and pedestrians are usually about attention and space: passing a bike too closely, turning across a bike lane without checking, failing to yield in a crosswalk, stopping on top of the crosswalk, and passing a car stopped for a pedestrian. Distraction makes all of these worse, since a phone glance is enough to miss a person stepping off a curb.

Build the right habits: look twice for bikes at intersections and turns, give a wide berth when passing, yield to pedestrians and stop short of the crosswalk, and slow down in school and residential zones. Treating the most vulnerable road users with extra care is both the law and the mark of a good driver.

Sharing the road with other vulnerable users

Cyclists and pedestrians are not the only vulnerable people you share the road with. Electric scooters, skateboards, wheelchairs and mobility devices, and people walking dogs all move in and near traffic, often at unpredictable speeds and angles. Treat anyone outside a vehicle as someone who could be seriously hurt by a mistake, and give them the same room and patience you would a cyclist.

Be especially alert near transit stops, where people cross to and from buses, and in parking lots, where pedestrians of every age move between cars. Low speeds in these areas are deceptive, because even a slow-speed impact can injure a child or older adult. Slowing down and scanning constantly is the habit that protects everyone who is not surrounded by a car.

Weather, night, and reduced visibility

Cyclists and pedestrians are hardest to see exactly when crashes are most likely: at night, at dawn and dusk, and in rain, fog, or snow. A pedestrian in dark clothing or a cyclist with a weak light can be nearly invisible until you are close, so reduce your speed in poor visibility and look carefully at crosswalks, shoulders, and bike lanes.

Use your headlights when visibility drops, and avoid high beams when you might dazzle someone walking or riding toward you. Wet roads also lengthen your stopping distance, so leave more room when passing a cyclist and approach crosswalks ready to stop. Extra caution in these conditions is the difference between seeing a vulnerable road user in time and not seeing them at all.