How to Drive Around Bike Lanes

Bike lanes appear in most parts of the world as a solid white line flanking either side of the road. The words "bike lane" are usually painted in them, along with a pictograph of a rider on a bicycle. Motorists may not normally use bike lanes, except in a few particular circumstances. If you need to drive around them, learn to keep some rules in mind.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Refrain from entering the bike lane while you drive. Treat the white line as you would a curb or a line of parked cars and adjust your driving to stay out of it. There should be more than enough space in the road for you to drive around bike lanes comfortably.
2. Make sure any cyclists don't need to change their speed in order to avoid hitting you. Maintain a speed limit that is appropriate to the area and refrain from changing speed or direction suddenly when there are cyclists in the area.
3. Slow down if you are coming up behind a bicyclist in a bike lane. Never tailgate anyone in a bike lane and do not pass until oncoming traffic is clear and you have room to drive around them.
4. Provide at least 4 feet of space as you drive around any cyclist in a bike lane. Accelerate enough to pass him comfortably, but not so fast that he is caught unaware, and do not speed up until you can see him clearly in your rear view mirror.
5. Enter a bike lane only if you intend to make a right turn and then only within 200 feet of the point you wish to turn. Watch carefully for cyclists as you do so and refrain from passing a cyclist and then quickly making a turn into the bike lane. Always use your turn signal to indicate your intentions when making a turn into a bike lane.
6. Watch for cars ahead of you that may have stopped or slowed down to facilitate a cyclist in a bike lane. Also watch for oncoming cars than may enter your lane in order to drive around a cyclist. Slow down and look for a possible escape route if you see anyone attempting such a maneuver.

Tips & Warnings

• Some areas allow parking in bike lanes but not always. If you have another option, you should always park elsewhere. Otherwise, not only are you asking for a ticket, but you're forcing cyclists to ride out into traffic in order to go around you.