Traffic Principles

TRAFFIC PRINCIPLES

First come, first served
• A cyclist has a right to occupy a safe space on the road
• First operator to a four way stop has the right to go first
• Vehicles merging into your lane must give you the right of way

Ride on the right
• Always ride with the flow of traffic
• Do not ride on the sidewalk
• Allow yourself room to maneuver around roadway hazards

Yield to traffic in busier lanes
• Roads with higher traffic volumes should be given right-of-way
• Always use signals to indicate your intentions to switch lanes
• Look behind you to indicate your desire to move and to make sure that you can
• Traffic in your destination lane has the right-ofway
• Making eye contact with drivers lets them know that you see them
• Signal and make your lane change early, before you need to

Speed Positioning
• Position yourself relative to the speed of other traffic
• Left-most lane is for fastest moving traffic, right-most for slower traffic

Intersection Positioning
• Position yourself in the right-most lane that goes in the direction of your destination
• Ride in the right third of the lane
• Avoid being overtaken in narrow-lane situations by controlling the lane