City of Pearland, TX
Home Menu
Bike Safety: Safe Cycling Initiative
HELMETS
The Proper Helmet Fit Helmets come in various sizes, just like hats. Size can vary between manufacturers.
Follow the steps to fit a helmet properly. It may take time to ensure a proper helmet fit, but your life is worth it. It’s usually easier to look in the mirror or have someone else adjust the straps. For the most comprehensive list of helmet sizes according to manufacturers, visit the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.
Be Prepared Before Heading Out
- Wear a Bicycle Helmet. Everyone – at every age – should wear bicycle helmets. For more guidance on fitting a helmet, see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fitting Your Bike Helmet.
- Adjust Your Bicycle to Fit. Stand over your bicycle. There should be 1 to 2 inches between the rider and the top tube (bar) if using a road bike and 3 to 4 inches if using a mountain bike. The seat should be level front to back, and the height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be level with the seat.
- Check Your Equipment. Before riding, inflate tires properly and check that the brakes work.
- See and Be Seen. Whether daytime, dawn, dusk, bad weather, or at night, make yourself visible to others. Wear neon, fluorescent or other bright colors when riding, to be most easily seen. Wear something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn’t mean the driver can see you.
-
Ride a bike that works—it really doesn’t matter how well you ride if the brakes don’t work.
-
Ride one per seat, with both hands on the handlebars, unless signaling a turn.
-
Carry all items in a backpack or strapped to the back of the bike.
-
Tuck and tie your shoe laces and pant legs so they don’t get caught in your bike chain.
-
Plan your route—if driving as a vehicle on the road, choose routes with less traffic and slower speeds. Your safest route may be away from traffic altogether, in a bike lane or on a bike path.
RIDE DEFENSIVELY AND PREDICTABLY
- Control the Bicycle. Ride with two hands on the handlebars, except when signaling a turn. Have only one rider per seat.
- Use Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication. This includes eye contact with drivers, turn signals, pointing to road hazards for bicyclists behind you, and stating “passing on your left,” or “on your left.”
- Avoid Riding at Night. It’s hard for road users to see bicyclists at dusk, dawn, and nighttime. Use reflect
- Go With the Traffic Flow. Ride on the right in the same direction as other vehicles. Go with the flow – not against it.
- Obey All Traffic Laws. A bicycle is a vehicle and you’re the driver. When you ride in the street, obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
- Yield to Traffic. Almost always, drivers on a smaller road must yield (wait) for traffic on a major or larger road. If there is no stop sign or traffic signal and you are coming from a smaller roadway (out of a driveway, from a sidewalk, a bike path, etc.), you must slow down and look to see if the way is clear before proceeding. Yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
- Be Predictable. Ride in a straight line, not in and out of cars. Signal your moves to others.
- Stay Alert at All Times. Use your eyes and ears. Watch out for potholes, cracks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks, or anything that could make you lose control of your bike. Listen for traffic and avoid dangerous situations; don’t use personal electronics when you ride.
- Look Before Turning. When turning left or right, always look behind you for a break in traffic, and then signal before making the turn. Watch for left- or right-turning traffic.
- Watch for Parked Cars. Ride far enough out from the curb to avoid the unexpected from parked cars (like doors opening, or cars pulling out)
- Drive where you are expected to be seen. Travel in the same direction as traffic and signal and look over your shoulder before changing lane position or turning.
- Avoid or minimize sidewalk riding. Cars don’t expect to see moving traffic on a sidewalk and don’t look for you when backing out of a driveway or turning. Sidewalks sometimes end unexpectedly, forcing the bicyclist into a road when a car isn’t expecting to look for a bicyclist. If you must ride on the sidewalk remember to:
- Check your law to make sure sidewalk riding is legal;
- Watch for pedestrians
- Pass pedestrians with care by first announcing “on your left” or “passing on your left” or use a bell;
- Ride in the same direction as traffic. This way, if the sidewalk ends, you are already riding with the flow of traffic. If crossing a street, motorists will look left, right, left for traffic. When you are to the driver’s left, the driver is more likely to see you;
- Slow and look for traffic (left-right-left and behind) when crossing a street from a sidewalk; be prepared to stop and follow the pedestrian signals; and
- Slow down and look for cars backing out of driveways or turning.
Drivers: Share the Road
People on bicycles have the same rights and responsibilities as people behind the wheel of a vehicle.
- Yield to bicyclists as you would motorists and do not underestimate their speed. This will help avoid turning in front of a bicyclist traveling on the road or sidewalk, often at an intersection or driveway.
- In parking lots, at stop signs, when packing up, or when parking, search your surroundings for other vehicles, including bicycles.
- Drivers turning right on red should look to the right and behind to avoid hitting a bicyclist approaching from the right rear. Stop completely and look left-right-left and behind before turning right on red.
- Obey the speed limit, reduce speed for road conditions and drive defensively to avoid a crash with a cyclist.
- Give cyclists room. Do not pass too closely. Pass bicyclists as you would any other vehicle—when it’s safe to move over into an adjacent lane.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding laws that apply to bicycles:
|
What traffic laws apply to bicyclists? What traffic laws do not? |
|
Generally, bicycles are entitled to all rights and obligated to all duties of the road that apply to a motor vehicle. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.101, see also Tex. Transp. Code § 541- 600. A person operating a bicycle, if moving slower than traffic, shall generally ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.103. By definition, roadway does not include the shoulder of the roadway. Tex. Transp. Code § 541.302(11). Generally, bicycles are entitled to all rights and obligated to all duties of the road that apply to a motor vehicle. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.101, see also Tex. Transp. Code § 541- 600. A person operating a bicycle, if moving slower than traffic, shall generally ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.103. By definition, roadway does not include the shoulder of the roadway. Tex. Transp. Code § 541.302(11). A person operating a bicycle shall ride only on or astride a permanent and regular seat attached to the bicycle. Tex. A person may not use a bicycle to carry more persons than the bicycle is designed or equipped to carry. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.102(b). A person operating a bicycle may not carry any object that prevents the operator from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.102(c). A person operating a bicycle, coaster, sled or toy vehicle or using roller skates may not attach either the person or the bicycle, coaster, sled, toy vehicle or roller skates to a streetcar or vehicle on a roadway. (Tex. Transp. Code §551.102(d). Bicyclists must use hand signals to signal their intent to stop, turn left or turn right. Tex. Transp. Code § 545.104-.107. A person may not operate a bicycle at nighttime unless the bicycle is equipped with the following:
|
|
Is there a state law prohibiting riding a bicycle or an electric bicycle on sidewalks? |
|
No. However, some local governments may have local ordinances prohibiting bicycles on sidewalks. Bicyclists should contact local law enforcement for more information and be aware of posted signs. Also, a person may stop, stand or park a bicycle on a sidewalk if the bicycle does not impede the normal and |
|
Is it legal to park a car in a bike lane? |
|
There is no general prohibition. Whenever parking a car, the driver should check local signs and ordinances. However, an operator may not stop, park or leave standing an attended or unattended vehicle on the main traveled part of a highway outside a business or residential district unless the following is true:
|
|
Is it legal to place a recycling container, trash container or other objects in a bike lane? |
|
A person commits an offense if, without legal privilege or authority, he intentionally, knowingly or recklessly: obstructs a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, hallway, entrance or exit to “Obstruct” means to render impassable or to render passage unreasonably inconvenient or hazardous. An |
|
Does a city or state have a responsibility to maintain a bike lane, path or sidewalk (for example, street sweeping or trimming vegetation)? |
|
Generally, it is the duty of the entity with authority over the highway or road to maintain the roadways on their |
|
Are bicycles permitted on interstate highways in Texas? |
|
The Texas Transportation Commission, by resolution or order recorded in its minutes, may prohibit the use of a limited-access or controlled-access highway under the jurisdiction of the commission by a parade, funeral procession, pedestrian, bicycle, electric bicycle, motordriven cycle or non-motorized traffic. If the commission adopts a rule prohibiting the use of bicycles on such a roadway, TxDOT shall erect and maintain official traffic-control devices on the portions of the limited-access or controlled-access highway to which the rule applies. Tex. Transp. Code § 545.065. |
Trails in the City of Pearland
News
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 |
11
6:31 pmCity Council Regular Meeting |
12 | 13 |
14
8:30 amParks Board Meeting |
15 |
16
9:00 amOld Pearland Farmer's Market |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |