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Section 551.101 of the Texas Motor Vehicle Handbook states: "A person operating a bicycle has all the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle..."
Operation on Roadways
- Obey all traffic signals and signs;
- A person operating a bicycle slower than the flow of traffic shall ride as near as practical to the right curb or edge of the roadway. Riding against traffic (wrong-way) is illegal in all 50 states;
- A person operating a bicycle on a one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near as practical to the left curb edge of a roadway;
- Bicyclists on a striped roadway may ride two abreast. Persons riding two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride in a single lane. Persons riding two abreast may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic on the roadway. Persons may not ride more than two abreast unless they are riding on a part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles.
- Bicyclists riding at night are required to equip their bicycles with a front lamp that emits a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet in front of the bicycle and a rear red reflector or red lamp visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle.
Tips for Safe Bicycling
- Share the road–don't assume motorists can see you.
- Never ride against traffic.
- Follow signs, signals, and pavement markings. When turning left, merge with left-turning traffic or walk your bike across as a pedestrian if traffic is heavy.
- Inform others of turns by using hand signals. These are the same as motorists' hand signals except that for turning right you can use your right arm and point.
- Slow down and yield for pedestrians.
- Be predictable.
- Avoid sudden swerves.
- Use common sense, courtesy, and caution, they are the three C's of good cycling.
- Watch the road. The American Automobile Association suggests using an accident avoidance technique called "SIPDA": scan, identify, predict, decide, and then act.
   
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