Bicyclists must follow traffic laws too, and knowing their rules helps you predict what they'll do. Massachusetts also uses bike boxes and separated lanes that change how you stop and turn.
Know the rule
Police can cite a bicyclist for a traffic violation just like a motorist; the fine won't affect their driving record. A bicyclist must give their true name and address when asked. Bike rental companies must offer helmets.
Handbook p. 62 ↗Bicyclists:
- May use the full lane on any street, even with a bike lane (except posted limited-access highways)
- Must ride with traffic unless signs or markings say otherwise
- Must stop at red lights and stop signs
- May keep to the right when passing a vehicle moving in the travel lane
- Signal stops and turns with either hand, unless both hands are needed
- May ride on sidewalks outside business districts unless banned locally, yielding to pedestrians
- May ride no more than two side by side
Bicycle riders and passengers this age must wear an approved bicycle helmet
Handbook p. 121 ↗Know the rule
No child under one year old may ride on a bicycle. A passenger aged one to four, or weighing 40 lbs. or less, must ride in an attached baby seat, harnessed and upright, with hands and feet protected from the spokes.
Handbook p. 121 ↗Bicycle equipment
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Brakes | Stop from 15 mph within 30 feet |
| Front white lamp (at night) | Visible up to 500 feet |
| Rear red light or reflector (at night) | Visible up to 600 feet |
| Pedal/ankle reflectors or reflective material | Visible up to 600 feet from all sides |
Know the rule
"At night" means from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise. Handlebars may not be set above the rider's shoulders.
Handbook p. 122 ↗Know the rule
Bicyclists must report any crash with personal injury, or with property damage over $100, to the police in the city or town where it happened.
Handbook p. 122 ↗Safe riding advice for bicyclists:
- Ride outside the "door zone": at least three feet from parked cars
- Ride in a straight line; on sidewalks where legal, ride at walking speed
- Pass other bicyclists on the left, not the right
- Don't pass buses on the right, or a moving tractor trailer on the right
- Put the phone away, and don't wear headphones or earbuds in both ears
Bicycle box
A green box with a bicycle symbol, painted before the crosswalk across the whole travel lane. Drivers must stop behind it, even when it's empty, and wait for the green light.
Handbook p. 124 ↗Know the rule
In a bike box, bicyclists turning left move to its left side; those going straight or right stay right. For a two-stage left turn, a bicyclist crosses on green, stops in the box for the new road, then goes straight on the next green.
Handbook p. 125 ↗
Know the rule
At separated bike lanes (cycle tracks), stop at the stop line so pedestrians and bicyclists can cross. When turning right, yield to crossing pedestrians and bicyclists, and look to the side and behind before crossing a bike lane.
Handbook p. 125 ↗Know the rule
In the common crash types (left cross, right hook, drive out, sideswipe), the motor vehicle is at fault. Watch for bicycles hidden by vehicles or buildings, and don't underestimate a bicyclist's speed or the space needed to pass.
Handbook p. 125 ↗
Put it into practice
You stop at a red light where a green bike box covers your lane, and no bicyclists are around. Stop behind the box anyway and wait there for the green light.