Most bikers around here that I see (not all but most) seem to ignore the basic rules of the road when they become inconvenient:
-They ignore stop signs
-They ignore stop lights
-They cut off cars & then get pissed when the car they just cut off is/gets 'too close' to them
-They ride drunk as hell
-They sometimes purposely try to annoy drivers by blocking them whenever possible, riding purposely very slow in the middle of the lane, block a LONG line of cars in a right turn only lane from making their turn until the light changes & the bike moves, etc. etc.
http://www.mva.maryland.gov/Driver-Safety/Bicycle/default.htmBy Maryland law, bicycles are vehicles. Bicyclists are authorized users of the roadway, and bicyclists have the same rights-of-way and the same duty to obey all traffic signals as motorists. But bicycles are less visible, quieter, and don’t have a protective barrier around them. Motorists should drive carefully near bicyclists; even a slight mistake can result in serious injury or even death.
Interesting, laws I thought got shot down were passed.
Also,
The bicycle has the right of way when the motor vehicle is making a turn, and you must yield to bicycle.
Interesting. This is annoying though, because bicycles may (should and must, legally) pass on the right, i.e. they go straight to the right of a right turn lane(!). Sometimes, motorists just don't see you. I have full rights to blissfully pass by you without a thought; I do in fact do this quite a bit, but only cautiously, allowing the drivers to turn or making sure they're going straight across the road before proceeding, because they just might not see me.
Though, for consideration, a bicyclist is in roughly the same position as a pedestrian at the point of collision into a bicycle: pedestrian crossing the crosswalk has right of way, and a right turn goes into the pedestrian. However, the bicycle is faster, and approaching: the bicycle may be cut off by the motor vehicle, and actually hit the side of the car. Bicycle may not be visible to the driver when the driver turns. Thus the bicycle should always be prepared to yield (this is just like a car: always have control of your vehicle, be prepared to respond to stupidity around you).
Maryland's traffic laws apply to bicycles and motor scooters. (TR § 21-1202)
Stop signs, traffic lights, etc. I've tried to bypass this, but no luck: when I'm stopped at red, pedestrian traffic is stopped at "Do Not Walk," and it's not legal for me to
walk across the street. So I can't get off and walk through the light, something I'd be ticketed for without a bicycle.
Still, as a bicycle, with right of way, operating under the traffic laws, when I approach an intersection where I have no stop sign I have the right to proceed without stopping. Other vehicles routinely proceed after stopping, when they are supposed to yield to road traffic. They're breaking the law. This happens to me a lot going downhill at dangerous speeds; the most effective way to stop a bicycle is by locking up the front brake just enough to lift pressure off the back wheel, and doing this suddenly as a panic maneuver going down hill is excellent... if you're skilled enough. I'm not, and can easily lose control this way (it's relatively easy to keep control, basically just hold on to the handlebars tight and don't slide forward). Not cool.
(By the way, some folks have suggested disabling the front brakes on bicycles and motorcycles in the past; if you're wondering about this, here's the technical details. Front brakes stop you faster because, even under rear braking, the bicycle's center of mass lurches forward and lifts the rear wheel slightly. Combining both brakes won't stop you faster; but using the rear brake and the front brake in tandem can cause a bicycle to fishtail, something mine does regularly because I do this often. The correct answer is to put on a helmet, find a parking lot, and learn to brake properly.)
Cyclists have a lot of rules about where they're supposed to ride. They're also supposed to avoid impeding traffic, as any motor vehicle; even slow-moving vehicles (with the flashing triangle sign) on narrow roads are supposed to pull off to allow traffic to pass when possible (don't drive these on high-traffic, narrow, one-lane roads or the police will be angry). At times I will ride out further in the lane than I should, mainly because I'm going the actual speed limit or a few mph faster (yes I do that) and it's hard to keep precise enough control (there's no bike lane or shoulder on these roads); this of course creates a traffic back-up behind me, since people go 40-50mph on 25mph back roads, but I actually fail to care. When I have to slow down (I'm not skilled enough to take those curves and they're blind anyway), I let them pass. I have similar problems driving a car on that road, and have witnessed (and almost participated in) some near-fatal accidents from people trying to pass my car in the opposing lane of traffic around a blind hairpin curve (you wouldn't believe the amount of stupidity that goes into this).
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