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In Jacksonville and throughout Florida, riding bikes is a popular hobby for people seeking to exercise or simply enjoy the day. Robin Henningsen-Bruce, nearly 50 years-old and a cancer survivor, rides her bike every day 20 to 100 miles near St. Cloud. She rides for health and the pleasure of spinning along at 20 mph. But each trip comes at a considerable risk in Florida where many motorists consider bicyclists to be nuisance, yet Florida Statutes and related laws require both to share the road. Henninggsen-Bruce wrote in an email, “Too many, on both sides are vastly ignorant of the laws and rules that regulate our roads in Florida. I can’t blame it all on vehicle drivers as I see a lot of cyclists who blatantly give us a bad name by running lights, stop signs, riding salmon style (against traffic) and just crossing at will.”
According to Mighk Wilson, a smart-growth planner and bicycling advocate at MetroPlan Orlando, said that a common misconception is that bicyclists do not have the right to ride in the middle of a traffic lane for their safety. The practice is known as the “controlling lane,” and allows riders to avoid dangerous obstacles on the roadside and enables them to safely make left turns. Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sergeant Kim Montes also said that motorists do not want to provide bicyclists with the three feet required by a safe passing law on roadways.
However, Florida bicyclists also can cause safety problems. Montes said the two most common traffic violations made by bicyclists are wearing headphones so they cannot hear traffic and riding the wrong way. Just like motorists, bicyclists must abide by the same traffic laws including: riding with the flow of traffic, obeying stop signs and red lights and not riding at night without mounted headlights and taillights.
Alan Snel of the South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers, a Tampa Bay advocacy group thinks that common courtesy could defuse the whole problem; “Both groups can settle it if they show each other respect.” For more information on this topic, see sharing the road: bicyclists, bikers and motorists have same rights and duties under traffic laws.