Utah Bicycle Laws
Recently, an article I wrote regarding Utah's 3 foot cycling law was published in Rocky Mountain Running and Triathlon Magazine. Since then, I have been contacted by several members of the cycling community with questions and concerns regarding Utah's cycling laws. The sudden flow of interest has overjoyed me. I will happily make it my goal to address these questions in what has now become my weekly combination of blogs, articles, and soon video blogs or vlogs. I hope to educate, promote safety, and overall support my fellow cyclists on the road.
The most recent question posed to me was in regards to the legality of cyclists riding side by side or abreast from each other while on the road. To answer this question, I had to do some independent research on the matter. My research led me to Utah's government page www.utah.gov. I found this to be an extremely helpful website filled with valuable information. By clicking on the Utah Code, Statues & Constitution tab you can find all of Utah's laws and torts. Here is where you should click.
The legal citation for the law relating to this question can be found at Utah Code Title 41 Motor Vehicles Chapter 6a Traffic Code Section 1105 Operation of bicycle or moped on and use of roadway -- Duties, prohibitions. Here is a highlighted section of the law and how it reads:
41-6a-1105. Operation of bicycle or moped on and use of roadway -- Duties, prohibitions.
a), a person riding two abreast with another person may not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and shall ride within a single lane.
Simply put, this means it is not illegal, nor is it legal in all circumstances, to ride side by side as cyclists. Every state has a different stance on this issue. In Utah, this activity is permissible as long as it is safe, and does not impede traffic. Does this mean that it is always going to be ok? No. Does it mean that sometimes you can do it as a cyclist and not pose a danger to yourself or others? Yes. As with everything, there is more than just one side to this issue. Drivers obviously do not want to hit cyclists, and cyclists likewise do not want to be hit by drivers. Let's analyze the concerns and viewpoints from both parties.
Drivers can sometimes become impatient with cyclists and view them as an annoyance or unnecessary hazard, this is made all the worse when cyclists ride side by side. From a cyclists stance, riding side by side allows for communication. Not only does riding side by side allow for friendly chatting, but sometimes the exchange of necessary information. For example, a more experienced cyclist can relay important information about the road they are on to less experienced riders. Such as "Hey, pay attention around this bend, cars always speed and I don't think they can see us very well." Information like this can only be exchanged when cyclists are riding side by side.
Everyone wants to be safe. Because of that as a general rule, and legal regulation, cyclists should be over as far right as is possible while still remaining safe. Vehicles need to do the same by moving as far left as is possible, allowing for at least 3 feet of space between the cyclist and their vehicle. If it is impossible for the foregoing two things to happen, cyclists should not ride side-by-side. Likewise, vehicles should not pass a cyclist until there is ample room for them to do so. Again, I cover Utah's 3 Foot Cycling law in greater detail on page 36 of Rocky Mountain Running and Triathlon Magazine. The general idea here is that both drivers and cyclists should give each other as much space as possible. When cyclists ride side by side the barrier of safety is decreased by a substantial amount.
Remember to practice common sense on the road and always put safety first.
