Bicyclists Indeed Broke Several Laws
* Steven Redpath’s letter of Sept. 4 attempted to justify the blockage of traffic by bicyclists, and was titled “Mass Bike Ride Broke No Laws.” On the contrary. In addition to being ill-advised, the activity broke several laws.
Redpath claims that the lanes on Beach Boulevard are “substandard” and too narrow to allow a car to pass a single bicycle. This is absolutely untrue for the curb lanes he should be riding in.
In addition then to violating section 21202 of the Vehicle Code, he and the other riders also violated sections 21654 and 21656.
None of these three sections allow the cyclists to “bunch up” at a red light for any reason, as they were doing in the photo, and which Mr. Redpath excuses on the irrelevant and untrue grounds that no one else could get through the light if the cyclists were in single file.
All of these sections require any vehicle, bicycles included, to drive at the extreme right-hand edge of the pavement when they are going slower than normal traffic on the road. If a slow-moving vehicle is being followed by five or more other vehicles, then the slow driver is required to pull off the roadway at the first safe place to do so and allow the other vehicles to pass.
A growing number of bicyclists are gleefully justifying dumb-driving habits by supposed loopholes they read into these sections.
BOB HUNT
Santa Ana
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