The recent increase in bicyclist injuries and fatalities in New Jersey underscores that, notwithstanding ongoing safety efforts, much remains to be done to make New Jersey’s streets safer for cyclists.  According to Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data, fatalities in 2008 shot up to 21 from 13 the year before. The reasons for this sharp increase are unclear, but volatile gas prices and rising unemployment may have helped increase the number of bicyclists. 

 

Bicycle safety requires both motorists and bicyclists to know and follow the rules of the road, as well as streets that are designed to meet the needs of all users.  Infrastructure improvements, such as bike lanes, paths and intersection improvements, lag behind the recent growth in demand for bicycling.  It will take years to retrofit our dense roadway network to better meet the needs of bicyclists along with motorists and other users. In the meantime, state and local agencies and other groups are working to educate bicyclists and motorists to improve safety.

 

Bicyclists should do their part to ride safely by knowing and following applicable New Jersey vehicle laws and by using defensive cycling practices such as the ones outlined in this article. Responsible cyclists also lead by example, helping to educate motorists and other bicyclists.

New Jersey Law for Cyclists

New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Code (Title 39 of the New Jersey Statutes) tells us how bicyclists and motorists should use the roadway.  Bicyclists have an equal right to the road as motorists and are considered “vehicles” under the law.  The basics of state bicycle law are outlined below.

 

Rights and duties of bicycle riders on roadways

 

State law provides that “Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle…” This means that under almost all circumstances bicycle riders must operate their bikes just as if they were driving a car while on the roadway.  Cyclists must ride on the right side of the road and travel in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic; use hand signals to indicate a turn (when the hands are not needed to maintain control of the bicycle) and; stop at stop signs and red traffic lights.  Bicyclists, as with motorists, must also yield to pedestrians in crosswalks (39:4-14.1. and 39:4-126.)

 

Keeping to the right and exceptions

A provision in the law (39:4-14.2) states that “Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as