NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – Do you know the rules of the road when you are on a bicycle? Turns out not many who frequent Neptune Beach are aware they are breaking the law and could get a ticket.
"What we're focusing on right now in Neptune Beach is the education aspect of it. It's valuable that we give the education aspect to the public because they aren't necessarily aware of some of these laws," said Officer Rick Wood with the Neptune Beach Police Department.
We called Neptune Beach police and asked them their biggest complaints from residents during the summer months. They told us it's bicyclists who do not follow traffic laws, especially along First street.
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Regardless of where you are biking, you should remember, state law dictates that a bicycle is considered a vehicle on the road. This means bicyclists need to follow the same laws as a car driver.
"There's no riding 3, 4, 5 abreast. You can ride two abreast," said Wood. "You must adhere to all the traffic signs such as stop signs and turn signals and the lights."
This also means that you can't use a rope to pull a skateboarder, either. This is something we saw happening along First street in Neptune Beach during our interview with Officer Wood.
All bicycles should have a light on the front and back while riding at night. If you don't follow these rules you can get ticketed and depending on the violation it could mean points on your driver's license.
Drivers should also remember that bicyclists have every right to ride in the street. If a bicyclist is in front of your car, that bicyclist has the right of way.
There must be 3 feet between your passenger side door and the bicyclist if you want to pass them. If there is not enough space to pass, then you have to wait behind the bicyclists until you do.