Posted:
With summer in full swing, Halifax Regional Police encourages motorists and cyclists to work together to share our roadways for everyone’s safety.
Road safety is a shared responsibility – motorists should treat cyclists as vehicles and provide them with the same rights as other motorists; cyclists must obey all road signs and traffic signals and should signal their intentions clearly before turning or stopping.
Additionally, motorists and cyclists must obey the following sections of the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act (MVA):
Motorists must:
Allow one meter clearance when passing a cyclist. (S.171B (1); fine - $291.45) Not drive in bike lanes. (S.131A; fine - $693.95) Not park in bike lanes. (S.143 (2); fine - $60.55) Cyclists must:
Not drive on the sidewalk if either of your tires exceeds 350 mm in diameter. (S.171 (2)) Ride in a bicycle lane where available. (S.171 (3)) Ride in same direction as flow of traffic. (S.171 (5)) Ride on the far right side of roadway or shoulder, in the same direction as traffic. (S.171 (4)) Ride in single file. (S.171 (6)) Wear a helmet. (S.170A (2)) Officers will be monitoring our roadways and issuing tickets to motorists and cyclists who fail to comply with the MVA. Except where otherwise noted, fines start at $147.70 for a first offence and progress to $176.45 for a second offence and $233.95 for a third or subsequent offence.
Visit http://www.halifax.ca/police/CRCP/BicycleSafety.php for more bicycle safety information.