Sharing the Road for Motorists and Cyclists
Motorists
- Since bicycles are vehicles, please obey all traffic laws including stop signs.
- Use hand signals. Don’t run red lights. Pass on the left. Yield when turning left through an intersection. Yield when changing lanes. These actions make you a lot more predictable and safer to drive around.
- Yield to approaching traffic before you enter a road.
- Stop and look left, right and left again.
- Don’t pass other vehicles that are stopped for pedestrians.
- Don’t follow vehicles more closely than is safe.
- Holding onto another vehicle is illegal. Don’t carry items that prevent you from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.
- Only travel as fast as is safe for both you and me.
- Don’t follow vehicles more closely than is safe.
- Holding onto another vehicle is illegal. Don’t carry items that prevent you from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.
- Don’t follow vehicles more closely than is safe.
- Holding onto another vehicle is illegal. Don’t carry items that prevent you from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.
- Ride as near to the right side of the road as is safe.
- Be careful when you’re avoiding obstacles or passing moving or standing vehicles. I may not understand what you’re doing when you need to take the lane so “check in” with me.
- Ride 3 – 5 feet to the left of parked cars so our opening doors will not cause a crash.
- Remember that your handlebars stick out the farthest. For my part, I’ll look for you before I open the door.
- Wear bright clothes and have the proper lights and reflectors when you ride at night so I can see you.
- Wear a helmet; I care about you and want you to get home safely.
- I understand reducing my speed to 20MPH when driving through neighborhoods saves lives.
- Most fatalities involving our kids occur on quiet residential streets. Kids run out into the street from a driveway, alley or across an intersection without stopping. Let’s all teach our children how to cross correctly by stopping at the edge, looking left, right, and left again, and continuing to look while crossing.
Cyclists
- Pledge to never use your cell phone while driving.
- Give me the appropriate right of way, yielding to me as you would for another motorist.
- We are equal partners on the road with the same rights and the same responsibilities.
- Don’t drive in bike lanes, they are for our use and for emergency vehicles only.
- Look before moving across a bike lane. I can legally pass you on the right in a bike lane.
- It’s your responsibility to pass me safely.
- I may take an entire lane when hazard, debris, a pothole, road width or traffic speed dictate. If you’re not sure it’s safe, please don’t pass.
- When you are making a left turn and one of us is approaching you from the front, be sure you have enough time to turn safely.
- In urban areas cyclists often go as fast as motor vehicles and it can take some time for us to stop safely.
- Never pass a cyclist near an intersection.
- Wait to pass until well beyond an intersection.
- Don’t generalize cyclists.
- Like motorists, one of us may occasionally ride improperly. Watch out for us; just because we may be wrong doesn’t mean we should be “dead wrong.”
- Make eye contact with me.
- I’m a person too, just trying to get where I’m going. In any potentially dangerous situation or in bad weather, let’s both give each other extra space.
- When you blast your horn, it makes me less stable.
- If you’re sharing the road with a group of us riding together, wait before passing to give us a chance to get into single file.
- We’ll try to respond as quickly.
- When parking, before you get out of your car, look to the rear to avoid opening your door in our path.
- Reducing your speed to 20MPH when driving through neighborhoods saves lives.
- Most fatalities involving our kids occur on quiet residential streets. Kids run out into the street from a driveway, alley or across an intersection without stopping. Let’s all teach our children how to cross correctly by stopping at the edge, looking left, right, and left again, and continuing to look while crossing.
Things to Remember for Motorists and Pedestrians
Motorists
- Pledge to never use your cell phone while driving.
- When you are distracted, you may not see me until it is too late.
- Pedestrians have rights and responsibilities just as other users of roads.
- Treat me as you would like to be treated if you were on foot, with fairness and respect.
- Whenever you’re turning, look for me – I have the right of way.
- Don’t just focus on oncoming traffic. Remember to look for me when you cross a sidewalk pulling into the driveway of a business or residence.
- There is a marked or unmarked crosswalk at EVERY intersection.
- Keep an eye open for me.
- That car stopped in the travel lane might be waiting for a pedestrian to cross.
- Don’t pull around me without stopping to check for me – it’s the law.
- Those bright yellow signs with pedestrians on them mean you should expect to see me crossing.
- Slow down and watch carefully.
- Reducing your speed to 20MPH when driving through neighborhoods saves lives.
- Most fatalities involving our kids occur on quiet residential streets. Kids run out into the street from a driveway, alley or across an intersection without stopping. Let’s all teach our children how to cross correctly by stopping at the edge, looking left, right, and left again, and continuing to look while crossing.
Pedestrians
- I’m not as maneuverable and can’t stop as quickly as you may think.
- Help me by sharing the road in a responsible manner.
- Cross where I expect to see you whenever possible.
- Don’t walk from between parked cars without checking for traffic first – I may not be able to see you. Darting out into the road may not give me enough time to stop. When you get off a bus, don’t run in front or behind the bus to cross the street – I can’t see you. Go to the closest intersection and cross.
- Whenever possible, make eye contact with me before you cross.
- I may be distracted and not notice you, even though I’ve pledged not to use my cell phone while driving.
- Use sidewalks where provided; where they are not, walk facing traffic.
- If I stop for you, don’t assume the cars in other lanes will stop too.
- Stop at the edge of each stopped car and check for oncoming traffic.
- I understand reducing my speed to 20MPH when driving through neighborhoods saves lives.
- Use sidewalks where provided; where they are not, walk facing traffic.
- If I stop for you, don’t assume the cars in other lanes will stop too.
- Most fatalities involving our kids occur on quiet residential streets. Kids run out into the street from a driveway, alley or across an intersection without stopping. Let’s all teach our children how to cross correctly by stopping at the edge, looking left, right, and left again, and continuing to look while crossing.
Report Bicycle Incidents To:
director@mobikefed.org
MBF Motorist Contact Program
PO Box 104871, Jefferson City, MO 65110-4871