Is it illegal for a cyclist to ride against incoming traffic, on the left side of the road?

Question

To me, it makes more sense to ride on the left side of the road, because you can see the car that's coming sometimes as close as 2 inches to you. You can see if there's a bus or a truck coming and you'll have time to stop if there's not enough space. If someone hits you, you'll see them before they do it. I don't have a helmet(don't waste time telling me to get one) nor do I have a good bike, so the best way to protect myself is to ride on the left.

This is what I've found on biketraffic.org:

Any person operating a bicycle or motorized pedal cycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under the following situations:(and they list the situations, find them at http://www.biketraffic.org/content2.php?id=50_0_6_0 )

Can I be fined for not riding on the right?

Answer 1

illegal and stupid! one, as others have noted, you have an increased closing time between you and any other moving vehicle, including me on my bike (and I'm holding my line, so get the h**l off the road!). two, vehicles entering intersections are looking for pedestrians on sidewalks and vehicles in their appropriate lanes. if you're coming from the wrong direction it's a matter of time until you get creamed! infact, this is the most common bike/car accident scenario. guess who's at fault for the accident? the idiot riding his bike the wrong way! learn the rules of the road. get comfortable with traffic, on roads with less of it. and seriously, if you are coming at me on my bike from the wrong direction, I'm not going to yield! so you're gonna have to ditch, cuz the car coming up behind me is gonna be even less forgiving!

Answer 2

To protect yourself:

1) Get a helmet

2) Ride on the right side of the road

3) Keep a straight line and try to stay predictable for vehicles

Answer 3

All states have essentially the same laws regarding bicycles.  Fundamentally, a bicycle is considered to be a vehicle, just like a car, truck, horse cart, tractor, construction equipment, etc.  This means you are subject to the same laws as all other vehicles and must operate on the right hand side of the road.

Frankly operating on the left hand side of the road is exceedingly dangerous.  Yes, you can see the approaching car.  Unfortunately your forward speed is reducing the reaction time the driver has to avoid you.  When you are on the left hand side of the road the driver has to pull into the opposite lane to avoid you whether it is safe to do so or not.  Given the choice between a head on collision with another car and a collision with a bike, what do you think the driver is going to do?  

When you are riding with traffic, a driver can pass you when it is safe to move into the opposite lane.  If it is not safe, the driver can at least slow down to avoid overtaking you.

So, riding on the left hand side of the road is against the law and you can be fined.  I believe, but I may be wrong, riding without a helmet is also illegal in all states.  Few places, however, ticket you for riding without a helmet.  If a policeman writes you a ticket for riding on the wrong side of the road, I wouldn't be surprised if they also ticket you for riding without a helmet.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I see why you don't wear a helmet, because wearing one would indicate you have some level of common sense (which you obviously do not).

Answer 5

in n.c. where i stay you can get fined $200 for that or like other you could die you are a 20 pound bike verses a 2 ton car,truck guess what you WILL lose and bad you can't win its like a car fighting a train the car loses

Answer 6

As pointed out, a bicycle is considered to be a vehicle subject to the same laws as motor vehicles.  However, I've rarely seen this ticketed except when the cyclist has been involved in an accident.

The risks for riding against traffic are about 3 times higher than riding with traffic.  The closing speed means less reaction time (as pointed out), but also means crossing intersections at the same time as others often leads to a nasty surprise.  Both left turns and right turns intersecting your path are more likely to lead to a collision because no one expects you to be there.

The WikiPedia article on Vehicular Cycling  lists what are considered to be the safest techniques for riding a bike on streets.  The first point listed is "Travel on the same side of the road as other traffic".

Answer 7

lol yeah you can be fined, or die lol  

What you're saying does make sense, but think about it for a second.  If you are too busy looking at the cars instead of where you're going you could end up driving straight into the path of the car.(in drivers ed, you're taught not to look at the cones or parked cars but to where you want to steer the car)

  

Also, seeing the car is too close could frighten you, and you wouldn't have much time to react because you have to add up how fast you're going and how fast they're going.  So you're going 15 and they're going 30.  That's going to be an impact of 45mph!  

Much worse than if you are grazed by a car and you smack into the back of a parked car (which can hurt the twigs and berries).  

Biking WITH traffic minimizes the speed gap.  You're going 15, they're going 30 and the impact is 15 mph.(my friend got hit/bumped last week by a woman backing out of her driveway, her and her daughter started crying awww lol he was fine probably cursed her and her little girl out and biked off hahaha.

You can also get something called a rear view mirror that attaches to your handlebars.  That way you can see the notorious bike haters and avoid him.  I usually focus more on the upcoming stoplights, intersections, and parked cars with people about to swing their door open and hit me.  

I also try to keep as straight as possible and watch the road a little to swerve past potholes and broken glass.  I'm talking to much.  

Hope this answers your question.  Yes you will be fined.  You can also get fined if you're riding your bike on the sidewalk in a city street(You can bike on the sidewalk in residential areas)

Answer 8

So you're one of the morons I see riding helmetless against traffic on rte 38 when there's a perfectly good rails-to-trails path a few blocks north, and quiet residential streets a block in on either side.  

Would you drive against the flow "so you can see traffic coming"?  

The best way to protect yourself is to ride consistently where drivers are expecting to see something.   Riding against traffic only increases closing speed and surprises oncoming traffic.   Its not just oncoming that's a problem, its cross streets.   Motorists there are looking for a safe gap in traffic, but they won't see you, because you're in a place they aren't expecting to see anything.   Surprise and unexpected events cause most "accidents".  

Traffic laws exist so we can all have a reasonable expectation of what "the other guy" is going to do in any situation.  What would happen if EVERYONE said "s***w the law, I'm going do what I think is best to protect myself"?  Roads everywhere would shut down in chaos!

P.S.   You are exempt from helmet use by the Darwin clause in the traffic code.

P.P.S.  YES. You have to follow almost all the same traffic laws as motor vehicles.   Stop at stop signs and red lights, ride to the right, signal turns and lane changes, stay within the speed limits.   I know people who have been ticketed for blowing stop signs.  I've been given a warning ticket for speeding (35 in a 30).  I don't know anyone who rides on the wrong side of the road, so of course I haven't heard of anyone being ticketed.

Answer 9

Every time I see someone on a bicycle riding against traffic I want to smack them up side the head. That is the most stupid, unsafe thing you could be doing and it gives a bad name to all cyclists. I could really go off on a rant here but others have made my points. So I'll just say I hope you do get ticketed. Maybe that will open your eyes before you get killed or cause someone else to be killed that's trying to avoid you! It's not just you on the road and riding the way you do is selfish. You're a danger to yourself and everyone else on the road!