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6. True. It is the law that motorists must give a minimum

of three feet of space when passing a cyclist. The fuzzy

part of this law is whether the motorists is allowed to

WHAT’S LEGAL cross a double yellow line to pass the cyclist. There is
AND WHAT’S NOT pending legislation in the Florida House to clearly
FOR BICYCLISTS make it legal. In the meantime, if motorists think
of bicycles as slow moving vehicles and treat them
accordingly, the streets will be safer.

7. True. Bicycles on the street are subject to the same

traffic laws as motor vehicles. That means they are
legally bound to obey traffic signals, stop at Stop signs,

by Beth Brainard etc. This is an ongoing problem with large groups of
Executive Director of NPC sports cyclists who don’t want to stop for any reason
and with vacationers who think they are in La-La

If you want to ignite a cocktail party conversation, bring up bicyclists. Everyone has an Land. Naples Pathways Coalition is working on

opinion, but there is a lot of confusion about what is legal and what is not for Florida educating both groups.

bicyclists.Test you knowledge of the laws with this quiz 8. True. It is illegal for bicyclists to ride three or more

WHAT’S LEGAL WHAT’S NOT BICYCLE QUIZ abreast on a roadway.Again,this is an ongoing problem
that can only be rectified when bicyclists either educate
Answer True or False. themselves or agree to respect the laws.

9. True. It is illegal for bicyclists to wear headphones or

1. Florida leads the nation in bicycle and pedestrian crashes and fatalities. earplugs while riding.This is also true for motorists.

2. It is illegal for bicycles to ride on the street. The simple reason is that you cannot hear or respond
3. It is illegal for bicycles to ride on the sidewalk. to what’s happening around you with Bob Marley
4. Bicyclists are supposed to ride against traffic. wailing in your ear.
5. Bicyclists have the right of way over pedestrians.
10. True. Bicyclists are required by law to warn

pedestrians before they overtake and pass them. They

6. Motorists must give a minimum of 3 feet of space when passing a cyclist. must give an audible signal, like ringing a bell or saying
7. When bicycles are ridden on the street they are subject to the same laws as motor vehicles. “Passing on your left.” Pedestrians wearing headsets
8. It is illegal for bicyclists to ride more than two abreast. or ear plugs who do not hear the bicyclist receive
9. It is illegal for bicyclists to wear headphones or earplugs while riding. no sympathy. If you are not paying attention to your
surroundings, you proceed at your own risk.

10. Bicyclists must give an audible signal before overtaking and passing pedestrians. 11. False. Currently in Florida texting while driving is

11. Texting while driving is punishable as a serious, primary traffic offense. not legally a primary offense,which means that the po-
lice cannot stop a driver just for texting. It also means

See how well you did. that the punishment is lenient for a texting driver who
causes a crash, even though the incidences of both
1. True. Florida is #1 in the nation in bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and crashes for a crashes and fatalities are mounting. Naples Pathways
Coalition has made it a priority to promote legislation
number of reasons, among them: lack of connectivity of sidewalks, lack of multi-use that will make texting while driving a primary offense.
pathways, overabundance of high speed roadways designed with only cars in mind, and
lenient penalties for motorists who injure bicyclists.

2. False. In Florida it is legal for bicycles to ride on the street. When they do, they must My suggestion is that you take this quiz to the next

obey the same traffic laws as motorized vehicles. cocktail party.

3. False. In Florida it is legal for bicycles to ride on the sidewalk, except where there are Note to readers: You can find the Complete Florida Statues
pertaining to bicyclists on the Naples Pathways Coalition
specific ordinances prohibiting it. In Naples, bicycles are not permitted to be ridden on website at www.naplespathways.org/helpful-links.
the sidewalks on Fifth Avenue S and 3rd Street S. When bicyclists ride on the sidewalks
they are subject to the same laws as pedestrians.

4. False. It is illegal for bicyclists to ride against traffic. This may seem counterintuitive, Beth Brainard is the Executive Director of Naples Pathways

and it probably contradicts what your mother taught you, but statistics proved that riding Coalition (NPC), a non-profit organization that works to create

against traffic is the #1 cause of traffic fatalities for bicyclists. safe, bikeable, walkable communities in Collier County. For
more information or to join, visit the NPC web site at www.
5. False. Bicyclists must yield to pedestrians on all crossways. However, this does not hold naplespathways.org or contact Beth directly at bethbrainard@

true when the pedestrian breaks the law and crosses in the middle of a block or crosses naplespathways.org.
when the crosswalk signal is red.

48 Life in Naples | December 2016