A 3-minute lesson from the Maryland course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
In Maryland a bicycle is a vehicle. Bicyclists may use the road and must obey signals, but they're quieter, harder to see and unprotected, so even a small mistake can cause serious injury or death.
Know the rule
Bicycles are vehicles under Maryland law. Bicyclists may use the road and must obey all traffic signals.
A bicyclist may ride in the travel lane for safety: on narrow roads, to avoid hazards, or where cars park along the right. They may use the full lane when it's too narrow to share safely.
Bicyclists have the right-of-way when you are turning. Yield to bicyclists in a bike lane or shoulder you enter or cross, and to bicycles in a crosswalk as you would pedestrians.
Bicycles are allowed on sidewalks throughout the state, unless a local jurisdiction prohibits it. Riders on sidewalks yield to pedestrians and people in mobility devices.
Leave at least 3 feet whether the bicycle is in a bike lane, on the shoulder, or in your lane. Wait for oncoming traffic to clear, and see the bike in your mirror before moving back.
A cyclist rides in the center of a narrow lane on a road with no shoulder. That's legal. Slow down, don't honk, wait until oncoming traffic clears, and pass with at least 3 feet of space.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Under Maryland law, how are bicycles classified?
As pedestrians
As recreational devices
As a type of moped
As vehicles
Answer: As vehicles
Bicycles are considered vehicles according to Maryland law, and bicyclists must obey traffic signals.