Dear Betty, I am rather new to bike commuting, but I have quickly learned that you have to claim your

space out there. The farther to the right you ride, the closer the overtaking motorists will squeeze by. nd of course there is all the broken glass and broken pavement and debris, not to mention sewer grates. But I am hearing that there are actual laws, written in books, that require a cyclist to ride practically at the edge of the road. !an this possibly be true" #hat am I supposed to do" $eft $eaning Dear $eft, It is true that %issouri and Illinois each has what is called a &far to right& law, which literally requires a cyclist to ride &as near to the right side of the roadway as safe& '()*.+,) -.%o./ or &as close as practicable and safe to the right0hand curb or edge of the roadway& '123 I$!. 34++0+3)3/, but only in certain situations. #hen Betty says that these laws require you to ride far to the right only &in certain situations,& what does she mean" 5irst, neither of these statutes even applies unless the cyclist is traveling more slowly than other traffic. 6bviously you are not traveling more slowly than other traffic when you are approaching a stop. Betty urges you when approaching a stop to move to the left sufficiently to discourage the motorist behind you from coming up on your left. If there are cars queuing up in front of you, slide in behind the last car that overtook you and take the lane. 7ou cannot get right hooked if there is no one on your left. .econd, each of the statutes includes a list of e8ceptions. cyclist need not stay &far to the right& if she is overtaking another vehicle, preparing to make a left turn, or avoiding a hazard 00 or when the lane is &too narrow& to share safely. This last item is of course a 9udgment call. .o call it: would you rather get a ticket or get in9ured or killed" If the lane is too narrow to share safely, do not encourage an overtaking motorist to share it. %ove to the left. ll that having been said, on its face the &far to the right& law does discriminate against cyclists, treating them differently from other users of the roads for no good reason. ll that is really required is the more general rule that tells slower traffic to keep right. 6nly a handful of states do not have these laws. .ome transportational bicycling advocates are working to get them repealed. 7ou may want to lend some of your time and effort to this work. !ontact Brent ;ugh, e8ecutive director of the %issouri Bicycle 5ederation, at director<mobikefed.org. Betty

The %issouri statute: ()*.+,). -iding to right, required for bicycles and motorized bicycles. =very person operating a bicycle or motorized bicycle at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic upon a street or highway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as safe, e8ercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction, e8cept when making a left turn, when avoiding hazardous conditions, when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle, or when on a one0way street. Bicyclists may ride abreast when not impeding other vehicles. '$. +,** ;.B. *, > 3, The Illinois statute: '123 I$!. 34++0+3)3/ 'from !h. ,3 +42, par. ++0+3)3/ .ec. ++0+3)3. Bosition of bicycles and motorized pedal cycles on roadways 0 -iding on roadways and bicycle paths. 'a/ ny person operating a bicycle or motorized pedal cycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then e8isting shall ride as close as practicable and safe to the right0hand curb or edge of the roadway e8cept under the following situations: +. #hen overtaking and passing another bicycle, motorized pedal cycle or vehicle proceeding in the same directionC or 2. #hen preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or drivewayC or (. #hen reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including, but not limited to, fi8ed or moving ob9ects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, motorized pedal cycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to continue along the right0hand curb or edge. 5or purposes of this subsection, a &substandard width lane& means a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle or motorized pedal cycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane. A. #hen approaching a place where a right turn is authorized. 'b/ ny person operating a bicycle or motorized pedal cycle upon a one0 way highway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near the left0 hand curb or edge of such roadway as practicable. '.ource: B. . ,302(+, eff. +0+0)?./ .$. +,?) ;.B. ,,3 @ +)3+, .$. +,,3 ..B. A*+/