Staying Safe: Lane Positioning
Minnesota law requires that you must ride as far to the right as is
practicable. This does not mean as far to the right as possible.
Stay far enough away from the curb
to avoid hazards. You are safer riding in a lane of traffic than in the
gutter. Riding in the lane gives you room to maneuver if a pothole,
bottle, or other debris appears in your path, and you are more visible
when you ride where drivers expect to see a vehicle.
Ride where cars on side streets and driveways can see you.
If you ride too far to the right, you may be blocked from their view by
a parked car. You are also more visible to cars behind you if you are
in the line of traffic.
Do not weave in and out between parked cars.
Drivers
behind you may not see you, and you may be cut off if you cannot get
out from behind a parked car due to heavy traffic (see figure 1).
Stay at least three feet away from parked cars.
Be sure to leave enough room to get by without swerving if someone opens a car door ahead of you.
Take the lane.
When
it is too narrow to safely share your lane with cars, when approaching
an intersection, or when you are traveling at the same speed as
traffic, ride further out into the lane so that you don't get squeezed
into a dangerous situation (see figure 2).
In extra wide lanes (one
and a half cars wide) don't ride all the way to the right. Again, you
will be more visible if you ride three to four feet to the right of
traffic. Cars turning right and motorists pulling out of side streets
and driveways will also be more likely to see you.


