Road rules apply to bicyclists, too
Q. A general question regarding bicyclists: What are their "share the road" responsibilities when it comes to major streets? I was recently driving on Jewell Road in Wheaton and Winfield, which is a two-lane road with a center turn lane. Two bicyclists were riding side-by-side. Essentially, they were blocking traffic, and made no attempt to move over and ride single file. I also saw something similar a few years ago with eight riders on Winfield Road, which is a four-lane road, just north of Butterfield Road. I am a bicyclist myself, but I would never consider riding in such a manner out of courtesy and for safety reasons.
--J. B., Wheaton
A. In general, Lt. Donald Wilson of the Wheaton Police Department says that if you're riding your bike on the road, the same rules for a driver of a motorized vehicle apply to a person riding a bike. If you're riding on the sidewalk, however, the laws for pedestrians would apply in that case.
"In some places, though, it's not legal to ride on the sidewalk," Wilson said.
"For instance, you're not allowed to ride bikes, skateboards or unmotorized scooters in the central business district of downtown Wheaton."
On the road, bicyclists can only ride up to two abreast, and they can only do that if they aren't impeding the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. In that case, they should ride single-file.
"If they're riding two abreast, they need to ride as close to the right-hand curb or the edge of the roadway as possible," Wilson said.
Exceptions are if you're overtaking a bicycle riding in the same direction, preparing to make a left-hand turn, or need to avoid objects or conditions in the roadway.
For people who want the legal specifics, visit the Illinois General Assembly Web site at www.ilga.gov. Under the Laws and Legislation section, go to the Illinois Compiled Statutes link. Once there, you'll find a Transportation section, and a Chapter 625 on vehicles. In Chapter 625, you'll find the Illinois Vehicle Code. Chapter 11, Section 15 of the Illinois Vehicle Code details rules specific to bicycles.