Bikers Can Ride on the Sidewalk: Seattle Municipal Code Section 11.44.120 allows bicycles on the sidewalk, though many pedestrians are unaware of this. Bikers are well advised to let pedestrians know they are coming by using a bell or a calm voice.
Bikers Need Lights at Night: SMC 11.44.160 requires a headlight and a rear reflector or a red light during the “hours of darkness.” Anderton Law Office recently proved that a collision involving a car that cut off a biker on a bike path occurred just before the “hours of darkness.”
Bikers Can Pass on the Right: SMC 11.44.080 allows passing cars on the right if safe.
In Crosswalks Cars Must Yield to Bikers and Bikers to Pedestrians: SMC 11.44.100 gives bikers “all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances”, but also requires the biker to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
Bikers Can Ride Side-by Side: SMC 11.44.060 forbids bikers to ride more than two abreast, thus, two bikes side-by-side would appear to be allowed. Nevertheless, to quote my father, “it doesn’t matter if you are in the right if you are dead.” So be careful with this one.
Washington bicycle lawyers at Anderton Law Office represent bikers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other people. Seattle, Washington bicycle lawyer Bob Anderton and associate bicycle attorney Stacie Bain are daily Seattle bike commuters.
Bob
Anderton represents bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers who have been injured
in collisions. He occasionally represents people who have been injured in unsafe
places or those whose insurance companies have acted in bad faith. He is also
a court-appointed settlement guardian ad litem.
Bob can be reached at (206) 262-9290 or bob@andertonlaw.com.
Content
by Seattle Washinton Bicycle Lawyer Bob Anderton,
Attorney at Law Washington State
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