Bicycles May Use the Full Lane
By Jeff Latimer, Owner Gus’Bike Shop
Yikes! There is bicycle is on the road in front of you. Are they allowed to be there? Don’t they have to be right of the white line? Don’t they have to move out of the way of cars? How do you pass them?
One of the most misunderstood things about bicycles is if and where they are legally allowed to ride on the road. We checked with Bike-Walk Alliance and Seacoast Area Bicycle Riders members who are League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructors to get answers to these questions. For reference we’ll also quote from the latest New Hampshire Department of Transportation flyer related to the subject.
Are bicycles even allowed on the road? Yes! Per New Hampshire law “Bicyclists have the same rights and duties as drivers of motor vehicles” (RSA 265:143). Thus, bicycles are not only allowed on roads, they are legal vehicles with the same rights as other vehicles to use the road and the same obligation to follow the rules of the road.
Do bicycles have to be to the right of the white line? No. There are several situations that require a person on a bike to position themselves in the middle of a lane. Especially as many of our roads do not have shoulders. On many roads in New Hampshire there is no pavement to the right of the fog line. Bicycles are to ride as “far right as practicable” but what does that actually mean?
“Bicycles may require the full lane in order to make a left turn or prepare to make a left turn at an intersection, or into a driveway. Expect bicycles to move away from the right side of the road when overtaking and passing another bicycle or any other vehicle proceeding in the same direction, when proceeding straight in a place where right turns are permitted, when necessary to avoid hazardous conditions, including but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, broken pavement, glass, sand, puddles, ice, or opening of parked vehicles.” (RSA 265:144-XI )
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons a bicycle needs to move away from the fog line. That pothole that is simply a bother to a person driving a car, could cause injury to a person on a bike. By riding to the left of potholes the bicycle driver is signaling that they need additional room to operate their vehicle.
How do you pass a bicycle safely? Just follow RSA 265:143 which states “Every driver of a vehicle, when approaching a bicyclist, shall insure the safety and protection of the bicyclist and shall exercise due care by leaving a reasonable and prudent distance between the vehicle and the bicycle. The distance shall be presumed to be reasonable and prudent if it is at least 3 feet when the vehicle is traveling at 30 miles per hour or less, with one additional foot of clearance required for every 10 miles per hour above 30 miles per hour.”
To put all of this together a bicycle needs 2-3 feet of operating room left of the white line in order to avoid potholes, sand, glass and debris that could cause them to lose control of their vehicle. The bicycle and the rider are around 3 feet wide meaning the edge of the bicycle is now 5 – 6’ left of the white line. The law requires a minimum of 3’ when passing a person on a bike. With typical lane widths of 9-10’ here on the Seacoast this means that to safely pass a bicycle, a motor vehicle should most likely be passing in the opposite lane. Note that in order to pass a bicycle safely without changing lanes, your lane would have to be 14’ wide – a rarity in New England. If you are unable to pass safely due to oncoming traffic, blind curves or hills, please slow down and then pass when safe to do so. The law specifically states that a vehicle may cross the center roadway marking line to pass a bicyclist.
This is why the New Hampshire DOT recently adopted two new signs for placement on state roads. One reads “STATE LAW 3 feet minimum to pass bicycles” and the second shows that “Bicycles may use full lane”. The latter is now up in a couple of places in Portsmouth already. Note that Maine has also adopted these signs as well and Maine law is essentially the same as New Hampshire.
So that bike in front of you may appear to be “in the middle of the road” but they are actually riding “as far right as practicable” to avoid hazards. Remember that roads are part of the common area and belong to all, so simply take a deep breath, wait till its’ safe to pass and enjoy your drive.
Want more information? Check out the aforementioned New Hampshire DOT flyer at https:// www.nh.gov/dot/programs/bikeped/documents/nhdot_bike_safety_brochure_bw.pdf
