Bicycle Lane Laws in Charlotte and What Happens When Drivers Ignore Them

Cycling has become even more popular in Charlotte in recent years, offering residents both a way to commute and a fun form of recreation. In response to this positive change, the city has taken steps to improve its infrastructure for bicyclists. There are miles of dedicated bike lanes and signage to remind drivers to watch for bicyclists.

Even with this changing infrastructure, bike riders are still some of the most vulnerable people on the road. Drivers who park in bike lanes, cut across lanes without checking for bicyclists, or drift in and out of bike lanes can cause severe or fatal injuries. It’s important to understand bicycle lane laws and how they may affect your case. If you’ve been injured in a Charlotte bike collision, call the bike accident lawyers at Price Petho & Associates, Personal Injury Attorneys today.

Charlotte’s bicycle lane laws

Charlotte, like many other large cities across the country, has invested a lot in its cycling infrastructure. Uptown CycleLink is a planned seven-mile network of bike lanes that will connect 40 miles of bikeways throughout the city, and plans for the coming years aim to significantly increase bicycle routes in Charlotte. The goal is to give cyclists a safe and predictable space on the roadway where they don’t have to worry about cars putting them in danger.

Under North Carolina law, bicycles are treated as vehicles. Bicyclists have the same rights to the road as drivers. Some of the laws that apply to bike lanes in Charlotte include:

• Parking in the bike lane is illegal. This is straightforward, but it still seems to be a challenge for many drivers in Charlotte.
• Bicyclists may use a fully marked lane. This does not apply specifically to bicycle lanes, but to bicyclists on the road in general; while bicyclists often stick to the right side of a lane, they have full legal rights to use the lane in its entirety.
• Bicyclists are not required to use bike lanes. While many bicyclists prefer to use bicycle lanes because they are generally safer, they are not legally obligated to.
• Road users cannot drive on or cross bicycle lanes in a way that interferes with the safety of bicyclists. If a driver needs to cross a bike lane to turn or get to a turn lane, they can only do so when doing so will not put bicyclists at risk.
• Road users cannot park, stop, or stall on bicycle paths unless it is reasonable and necessary. It doesn’t matter if they are stopping just for a few minutes, picking someone up, or running inside to grab something, no matter what ticketed drivers may claim. There is no stopping or parking in bicycle lanes. Road users also cannot block bike lanes unless it is reasonable and necessary, for example, if someone is exiting a driveway and needs to be partially in the bike lane to check for clearance.

Common driver violations in bike lanes

Unfortunately, not all Charlotte drivers follow the rules—some don’t even know how to safely and legally drive around bike lanes. Here are some of the most common violations we see as bicycle accident lawyers:

• Parking or stopping in bike lanes: The law is abundantly clear on this. Cars cannot park, stop, or stand in bike lanes. Drivers have every excuse under the sun for their choice to park in bike lanes, but none of those excuses make it legal. When cyclists come across parked cars in their lanes, they are forced into traffic—and there, the risk of being hit goes up substantially.
• Turning across bike lanes without yielding: It’s unavoidable that drivers will sometimes have to cross bike lanes in order to turn or reach a turn lane. What is avoidable is striking bicyclists in the process. A driver making a right turn might drift across the bike lane into the right turn lane without checking their sideview mirrors, hitting a cyclist in the process. This is incredibly dangerous and highlights how many drivers think their needs override bicyclists’ safety.
• Driving in bike lanes: This is blatantly illegal, but some drivers drive in bike lanes to bypass traffic congestion. Bicyclists are left dodging car traffic in their own lanes.
• Dooring accidents: In areas where bicycle lanes are next to parking lanes, a driver opening a door into a bicycle lane can cause serious injuries.

Each of these violations shows negligence on a driver’s part. Additionally, they are entirely preventable if drivers treat bike lanes with respect, stay informed of local and state laws, and stay in their own lanes.

How driver negligence leads to bicycle accidents

The misuse of bicycle lanes can lead to preventable accidents, and as we know, bicyclists are at far greater risk of suffering severe or fatal injuries than drivers. Consider a delivery driver who parks in a bicycle lane “for just a moment” to run some food up to a customer’s house. A bicyclist is forced to move into traffic to get around the car, and as a result, they are hit by a car. Or imagine a driver who realizes that they have to turn right immediately. They swerve across a bike lane to get to the right turn lane, and in doing so, they strike a bicyclist.

It’s crucial that bicyclists injured by negligent drivers hold those drivers accountable with personal injury claims. Violations of bicycle lane laws serve as evidence of a driver’s negligence, making it easier for injured cyclists to prove their case.

Start your bicycle accident case today

The team at Price, Petho & Associates is committed to helping injured bicyclists seek compensation after an accident. Explore your legal options now by contacting us online or calling us today.