SUBTITLE 12. OPERATION OF BICYCLES AND PLAY VEHICLES § 21-1202. Traffic laws apply to bicycles and motor scooters Every person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter in a public bicycle area has all the rights granted to and is subject to all the duties required of the driver of a vehicle by this title, including the duties set forth in § 21-504 of this title, except: (1) As otherwise provided in this subtitle; and (2) For those provisions of this title that by their very nature cannot apply. § 21-1205. Riding on roadways or on highway (a) Riding to right side of roadway. -- Each person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter at a speed less than the speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing on a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable and safe, except when: (1) Making or attempting to make a left turn; (2) Operating on a one-way street; (3) Passing a stopped or slower moving vehicle; (4) Avoiding pedestrians or road hazards; (5) The right lane is a right turn only lane; or (6) Operating in a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle or motor scooter and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane. (b) Riding two abreast. -- Each person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter on a roadway may ride two abreast only if the flow of traffic is unimpeded. (c) Passing. -- Each person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter on a roadway shall exercise due care when passing a vehicle. (d) Walking bicycles on right side of highway. -- Each person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter on a roadway may walk the bicycle or motor scooter on the right side of a highway if there is no sidewalk. § 21-1207.1. Helmets required (a) In general. -- (1) The provisions of this section apply: (i) At all times while a bicycle is being operated on any highway, bicycle way, or other property open to the public or used by the public for pedestrian or vehicular traffic; and A15 (ii) To a person under the age of 16 who is riding on a bicycle, including a person under the age of 16 who is a passenger on a bicycle: 1. In a restraining seat attached to the bicycle; or 2. In a trailer being towed by the bicycle. (2) The provisions of this section do not apply to passengers in commercial bicycle rickshaws. (b) Inapplicable on Ocean City boardwalk. -- This section does not apply in the town of Ocean City, Maryland, on the boardwalk between the Ocean City inlet and 27th Street, during the hours in which bicycles are permitted by local ordinance to be operated on the boardwalk. (c) Helmets. -- A person to whom this section applies may not operate or ride as a passenger on a bicycle unless the person is wearing a helmet that meets or exceeds the standards of the American National Standards Institute, the Snell Memorial Foundation, or the American Society for Testing and Materials for protective headgear for use in bicycling. (d) Enforcement. -- This section shall be enforced by the issuance of a warning that informs the offender of the requirements of this section and provides educational materials about bicycle helmet use. § 21-1209. Throwing object at bicycle, EPAMD, or motor scooter. (a) Drivers to exercise due care. -- Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the driver of a vehicle shall: (1) Exercise due care to avoid colliding with any bicycle, EPAMD, or motor scooter being ridden by a person; and (2) When overtaking a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter, pass safely at a distance of not less than 3 feet, unless, at the time: (i) The bicycle, EPAMD, or motor scooter rider fails to operate the vehicle in conformance with § 21-1205(a) of this subtitle (“Riding to right side of roadway”) or § 21-1205.1(b) of this subtitle (“Roadway with bike lane or shoulder paved to smooth surface”); (ii) A passing clearance of less than 3 feet is caused solely by the bicycle, EPAMD, or motor scooter rider failing to maintain a steady course; or (iii) The highway on which the vehicle is being driven is not wide enough to lawfully pass the bicycle, EPAMD, or motor scooter at a distance of at least 3 feet. (b) Throwing objects. -- A person may not throw any object at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter. (c) Opening doors with intent to strike, injure, etc. -- A person may not open the door of any motor vehicle with intent to strike, injure, or interfere with any person riding a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter. (d) Yielding right-of-way. -- Unless otherwise specified in this title, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a person who is lawfully riding a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter in a designated bike lane or shoulder if the driver of the vehicle is about to enter or cross the designated bike lane or shoulder. § 21-1210. Wearing earplugs, headsets, etc., prohibited (a) Wearing headset coverings. -- A person may not operate a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter on any highway, or on any roadway, while the person is wearing any headset covering both ears. (b) Earplugs. -- A person may not operate a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter on any highway, or on any roadway, while the person is wearing any earplugs in both ears. A16 (c) Exceptions. -- The provisions of this section do not apply to: (1) Any person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of custom earplugs or molds that are designed to attenuate injurious noise levels, if the custom plugs or molds are designed in such a manner as to not inhibit the wearer’s ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another vehicle; (2) Any person wearing a prosthetic device used to aid the hard of hearing; or (3) Any person operating a bicycle on a public bicycle pathway expressly authorized for the use of persons operating bicycles. SUBTITLE 14. OPERATION OF VEHICLES ON CERTAIN TOLL FACILITIES § 21-1405. Pedestrians and bicycles prohibited (a) Pedestrians. -- Unless authorized by the Chairman of the Maryland Transportation Authority, pedestrians may not use any Authority highway. (b) Bicycles. -- Unless authorized by the Chairman of the Maryland Transportation Authority, bicycles may not use any Authority highway.25-102(a)
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 13:26:53 +0000