Set 8 Rules for Bicyclists to Avoid Liability, Improve Safety

Nearly 1,000 bicyclists die and over 130,000 are injured in crashes that occur on roads in the United States every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adolescents, teens, and young adults have the highest rates of bicycle-related injuries treated in emergency departments. And people ages 10 to 24 account for nearly one-third of all bicycle-related injuries seen in U.S. emergency departments.

Injuries and deaths among bicyclists are preventable. In addition, having a well-thought-out set of rules for all bicyclists to follow at your site can help you avoid liability, particularly if the accident was caused by someone violating your rules.

We'll give you eight rules for bicyclists that you can implement at your site to help avoid liability and improve safety. And we'll give you a set of Model Rules: Tell Bicyclists How to Prevent Accidents, that you can adapt and use at your site.

1. Obey All State, Local Laws

Require bicyclists to obey all state and local laws regarding bicycling. These might include things like using proper hand signals and wearing a helmet while cycling [Rule #1].

It's a good idea to encourage bicyclists to wear a helmet in your rules. Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head and brain injuries in the event of a crash. As of 2023, 21 U.S. states (along with the District of Columbia) have statewide laws requiring children to wear bicycle helmets. These laws vary by age, typically applying to children under a certain age, usually between 12 and 17 years old. Additionally, many local municipalities in states without statewide laws have enacted their own regulations regarding child bicycle helmet use.

2. Use Roads and Designated Bicycle Paths Only

If your site's layout allows, you can designate distinct paths for cyclists and pedestrians. To avoid conflicts, instruct cyclists to stay on roads or designated bike paths and refrain from riding on sidewalks or pedestrian areas. If cyclists must cross pedestrian paths, they should dismount and walk their bike across [Rule #2].

3. On Roads Shared with Cars, Ride on Right, Near Curb, and with Traffic

When cyclists share the road with cars, they should ride on the right side, as close to the curb as safely possible, and always in the same direction as traffic. Since road conditions vary, allow exceptions to this rule when it's safer to ride farther left, such as to avoid hazards like a steep drop-off [Rule #3].

4. Ride Single File on Roads with Cars

Require bicyclists riding in a group to ride single file when they're cycling on a road that's shared with cars. Say that if a group is riding on a designated bicycle path, it's okay to ride two across. Also say that bicyclists may make an exception to this rule when specific conditions make it unsafe to abide by it [Rule #4].

5. Maintain a Safe Speed and Avoid Racing

Excessive speed is a common cause of accidents for both drivers and cyclists. Bicyclists should maintain a safe speed and refrain from racing [Rule #5].

6. Pass on Left After Clearly Announcing Intentions

Say that whether passing other bicyclists on a designated path or pedestrians on a shared path, it's essential that bicyclists first clearly announce their presence and their intention to pass. Otherwise, people won't know the bicyclist is there and might veer into his path, resulting in an accident. Also say that when bicyclists are being passed, they should cooperate by staying to their right and not speeding up. And say that bicyclists may make exceptions to this rule when specific conditions make it unsafe to abide by it [Rule #6].

7. Obey All Traffic Signs and Signals

Require bicyclists to obey all traffic signs, signals, lights, and markings, as they would if they were driving a car. This includes stop signs, red lights, and other road markings [Rule #7].

8. Use Front Light and Rear Red Reflector for Night Riding

For safe night cycling, require that bikes have a front white light visible from at least 500 feet and a rear red reflector visible from at least 300 feet [Rule #8].