Mass Bike Laws

[jasond]

Anyone ever read these? The funniest one I read must be "You may have as many lights and reflectors on your bike as you wish." Someone has to have taken advantage of this by now.

Either way its a good site for those of you in Mass.

http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/

[1centaur]

At some point there was a cyclist's bill of rights under discussion in Mass. One thing that's a problem with the laws as you posted them is the requirement to ride single file unless passing. That should be a requirement to ride single file only if vehicles are trying to pass you. I would also like the 3-foot distance limitation from passing cars that other states are putting on the books.

[csi & legend ti]

At some point there was a cyclist's bill of rights under discussion in Mass. One thing that's a problem with the laws as you posted them is the requirement to ride single file unless passing. That should be a requirement to ride single file only if vehicles are trying to pass you. I would also like the 3-foot distance limitation from passing cars that other states are putting on the books.

Second that.

Jim

[jasond]

At some point there was a cyclist's bill of rights under discussion in Mass. One thing that's a problem with the laws as you posted them is the requirement to ride single file unless passing. That should be a requirement to ride single file only if vehicles are trying to pass you. I would also like the 3-foot distance limitation from passing cars that other states are putting on the books.

Yeah I moved to MA last year just before the winter so I haven't need to look at the laws but now that the riding season is here I felt it necessary to read up on them.

I would have to agree with you, a 3 foot law would be great even though it's tough to enforce. I once had a dump truck come within inches of me at a fairly fast speed. I honestly could have stuck my hand out and touched the truck. I was pretty upset but forgot to get his company name and license plate number.

J

[Bruce K]

There was a new cycling law recently passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Patrick.

I believe many of these issues were addressed.

BK

[Climb01742]

given that virtually every mass driver ignors every driving law, sign or shred of common sense, i have very little hope for any new laws helping us. except for cabbies in manhattan, no one drives worse than mass drivers.

[Ti Designs]

given that virtually every mass driver ignors every driving law, sign or shred of common sense, i have very little hope for any new laws helping us. except for cabbies in manhattan, no one drives worse than mass drivers.


That's not true, I've found that a large number of drivers know one law all too well. In fact, they feel the need to shout it at cyclists as they pass - "SINGLE FILE!!!". I once had that yelled at me while I was on my tandem... The sad part is that section 85a of the new law does away with that, so the only part of the law they know is now wrong. They never seem to remember the part about passing when safe...

The new law also requires the police to have instruction on bicycle law. It was passed over the winter so I haven't seen any police accident reports (I write up a lot of insurance estimates for the shop) but time will tell if that's happened or not.

[1centaur]

http://www.massbike.org/bikebill/index.htm

[39cross]

http://www.massbike.org/bikebill/index.htm
Thanks! I took the liberty of cutting some of the relevant text from your link and pasting below. It's a good set of regs, except IMHO a $100 fine is too low for ''dooring".

snipped:

Changes for Bicyclists

1. Safer Signaling : Bicyclists were already required to use hand signals when stopping or turning, but now it is clear that you are not required to signal when you need both hands on the handlebars, such as when operating the brakes, shifters, or steering.

2. Riding Two Abreast Permitted : Bicyclists are no longer restricted to riding single file at all times. You can now ride two abreast (two bicycles, side-by-side), except that you still have to help faster vehicles to pass. So stay in single file when cars need to get by! On multi-lane roads, you can ride two abreast, but all the cyclists in your group must stay in one lane (which will usually be the right-hand lane unless you are making a left turn).

Changes for Motorists

3. Don't "Door" Bicyclists : Motorists (and their passengers) can now be ticketed and fined up to $100 for opening car or truck doors into the path of any other traffic, including bicycles and pedestrians. "Dooring" is a frequent cause of bicycle crashes and bicyclist injuries, and while motorists could already be sued in civil court or charged in criminal court under certain circumstances, they could not previously be ticketed and fined on the spot by a police officer.

4. Don't Cut Off Bicyclists After Passing : Motorists used to be required only to stay a safe distance to the left of a bicyclist (or any other vehicle) when passing; now, motorists are also prohibited from returning to the right until safety clear of the bicyclist.

5. Don't Squeeze Bicyclists in Narrow Lanes : If the lane is too narrow for a motorist to pass a bicycle (or any other vehicle) at a safe distance while staying in the lane, the motorist must use another lane to pass, or, if that is also unsafe, the motorist must wait until it is safe to pass.

6. Don't "Right-Hook" Bicyclists : A "right-hook" is when a motorist makes an abrupt right turn too close to a bicyclist, causing the cyclist to crash or make an emergency maneuver to avoid crashing. Motorists are now prohibited from making abrupt right turns at intersections and driveways after passing a cyclist.

7. Yield to All Bicycles Before Turning Left : Motorists are already required to yield to oncoming vehicles (including bicycles) before turning left. The law now expressly includes yielding to bicyclists riding to the right of other traffic (e.g., on the shoulder), where they are legally permitted but may be more difficult for motorists to see.

8. Motorists Liable for Hitting Bicyclists Riding to the Right : Bicycles, unlike other vehicles, are permitted to ride to the right of other traffic (e.g., on the shoulder), and motorists are not permitted to use this fact as a legal defense for causing a crash with a bicyclist.
Changes for Bicycle Rental Businesses

9. Helmet Availability : Bicycle rental businesses are now required to make helmets available to renters. The renters can still choose not to wear a helmet (except for children 16 and under who must wear helmets in Massachusetts), as long as a helmet is available if they want one.

Police Training and Enforcement

10. Police Training : Police recruits are now required to receive training on the bicycle-related laws, bicyclist injuries, dangerous behavior by bicyclists, motorists actions that cause bicycle crashes, and motorists intentionally endangering bicyclists. The training is optional for in-service training of experienced officers. MassBike has developed a police training curriculum, which will be revised to reflect the new law, and we will work with the police to determine how to proceed with the training.

11. Enforcement : Under the old law, each city or town that wanted to write tickets to bicyclists for violating traffic laws had to create its own procedure, unlike the procedure for ticketing motorists, which is the same throughout the state. Very few communities implemented this cumbersome separate process. The new law eliminates the separate procedure for bicyclists, and intends that the existing procedure for motor vehicles be used for bicyclists as well. MassBike will work with the state to determine how to proceed with enforcement.

Other Changes

12. Bicycle Registration Repealed : The bicycle registration law permitted any city or town to require residents to register their bicycles, to require bicycle rental businesses to register their bicycle fleets, and to require bicycle shops to file reports identifying the purchaser of every bicycle. The registration law was not being used or enforced anywhere in the state.

13. Safety Standard for Helmets : The acceptable standard for bicycle helmets is changed to refer to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.