Texas Traffic Laws

Important Traffic Laws for Bicyclists

Stipulations in the Texas Traffic Laws that bicyclists should be familiar with includes:

  1. Cyclists have all the rights and the duties that apply to drivers of vehicles. This statement includes:
    • Obeying posted speed limits and one-way street signs
    • Stopping at signs and signals
    • Yielding the right of way
  2. No bicycle shall carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed.
  3. A bicyclist moving below the speed of other traffic shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, except when:
    • Conditions of the roadway, including fixed or moving objects or vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or substandard lanes, make it unsafe to ride next to the right curb or edge of the roadway
    • The person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane, or it is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side
    • The person is overtaking and passing another vehicle going in the same direction
    • The person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway

Bicycling at Night

For night use, a bicycle shall have a lamp on the front with a white light visible from a stance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear that is of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety. It should be visible when directly in front of lawful upper beams of motor vehicle headlamps from all distances from 50 to 300 feet to the rear of the bicycle, or a lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle.

About the Laws

Violation of the law is a misdemeanor offense and could result in a Justice of the Peace Citation. This information was provided by Texas A&M Transportation Services.