Practice Areas

	Vehicle Accidents
	Slip and Fall
	Social Security Disability Benefits

Are cyclists in Colorado subject to a special code?

Q: Are cyclists in Colorado subject to a special code?

A:

Yes. Colorado cyclists have all the rights and duties applicable to drivers of engine-powered vehicles, except for those regulations that by their nature cannot apply to bicycles, and for the rules that are specific to bicycles. These rules are briefly described here:

• a cyclist cannot allow himself or herself to be pulled by a motor vehicle;
• cyclists are required to ride on the right-hand lane when riding at a slower speed than the traffic flow;
• if the right-hand lane is wide enough to allow vehicles to overtake the bicycle, then the cyclist shall ride far enough to the right to allow safe overtaking;
• using lanes other than the right-hand lane is allowed when preparing for a left turn, to avoid the right-turn lane at an intersection, or when riding on a one-way roadway.

Cyclists are further allowed and urged to distance themselves from parked cars and other hazards that may appear at the edge of the roadway. They shall not ride more than two abreast, except on paths for the exclusive use of bicycles.

A cyclist will keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times and will not carry more persons at one time than the number for which the bicycle is designed. He or she will obviously yield to pedestrians on a crosswalk.

More details and further rules regarding bicyclists signaling turns, parking of bicycles and sharing of paths and roads with pedestrians can be found in the Colorado Vehicle Code, Statute 42-4-1412.