Texas Driver Handbook 2017
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Bicycles Must Be Properly Equipped
- Bicycle Safety Guidelines
- Penalties for Driving Without a Safety Belt
- Table 39: Penalties for Not Wearing a Required Safety Belt Conviction Penalty*
- FASTEN SAFETY BELTS STATE LAW
Chapter 13: Bicycle Laws and Safety Texas Driver Handbook Chapter 13: Bicycle Laws and Safety
A bicycle is a vehicle. Any person riding a bicycle has the same rights and responsibilities that apply to a driver operating a vehicle unless these cannot, by their nature, apply to a person operating a bicycle. Any person who operates a bicycle is subject to the same penalties for violating a traffic law as a person operating a motor vehicle. All traffic convictions will be placed on the individual’s driver record, regardless if the conviction was for an offense committed on a bicycle or in a motor vehicle. Do’s 1. Always obey all traffic laws, signs, and signals. Stop at all stop signs and red lights. 2. Always ride with the flow of traffic. 3. Only ride on or astride a permanent and regular seat. 4. When operating a bicycle on a one-way road with two or more marked traffic lanes, ride as near as possible to the left curb or edge of the road. 5. Individuals riding two abreast on a “laned” road must ride in a single lane and not impede the flow of traffic. 6. Bicyclists may ride on the shoulder of the road. 7. Bicyclists must signal a turn or stop by: a. Using either their left arm pointing up or their right arm pointed horizontally to signal a right turn. b. Using their left arm pointed horizontally to signal a left turn. c. Using their left arm pointed downward to signal a stop. 8. A person operating a bicycle who is moving slower than the other traffic on the road shall ride as near as possible to the right curb or edge of the road unless: a. The person is overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction b. The person is preparing for a left turn at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway c. There are unsafe conditions in the road such as fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, potholes, or debris, or d. The person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is: - Less than 14 feet in width and doesn’t have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or - The lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.
1. Never carry more than the number of individuals it is designated or equipped for. 2. Never ride opposite the flow of traffic. 3. Never attach the bicycle or person to a moving streetcar or vehicle upon a road. 4. Never carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the rider from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.
The shared lane marking may be used to: 1. Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist impacting the open door of a parked vehicle 2. Assist bicyclists with lateral position in lanes too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane 3. Alert road users of the lateral location bicyclists are likely to occupy within the traveled way 4. Encourage safe passing of bicyclists by motorists, or 5. Reduce the incidence of wrong-way bicycling 65
Chapter 13: Bicycle Laws and Safety Texas Driver Handbook Bicycles Must Be Properly Equipped 1. Every bicycle must be equipped with a brake, which will enable the operator to make the wheels skid on dry, level, clean pave- ment when applied. 2. Hearing-impaired bicycle riders may display a safety flag. 3. Every bicycle used at nighttime must be equipped with: a. A lamp on the front which emits a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet in front of the bicycle, and b. A red, DPS-approved reflector on the rear visible from distances of 50 feet to 300 feet. (A red light on the rear visible from a distance of 500 feet may be used in addition to the red reflector.) Bicycle Safety Guidelines 1. You may be required by law to wear a helmet depending on your local laws. 2. When riding on pedestrian facilities, reduce speed and exercise caution. 3. Do not weave in and out of parked cars. 4. Move off the street to stop, park, or make repairs to your bicycle. 5. Select a route according to the rider’s bicycling skill and experience. 6. Bicycles may be equipped with a mirror. 7. Wear light colored or reflective clothing to make it easier for drivers to see you. Riding in Wet Weather Water makes certain surfaces slick. Be aware of manhole covers and painted stripes on the road. Water also obscures some hazards. Watch for potholes filled with water. In addition, the visibility of motorists is greatly decreased in wet weather. 66
Chapter 14: Additional Safety Tips Texas Driver Handbook Chapter 14: Additional Safety Tips
To avoid crashes, the defensive driver should: 1. Stay alert and keep eyes moving to keep track of what is happening at all times 2. Look for trouble spots developing all around 3. Have a plan of action 4. Know that the law requires drivers to protect each other from their own mistakes Safety Belts The driver and all passengers, regardless of age, in a passenger vehicle are required to use safety belts if occupying a seat in a vehicle equipped with a safety belt. Any child under 8 years old must be secured in a federally approved child car seat if occupying a seat in a vehicle equipped with a safety belt, unless the child is more than 4’9” tall. Safety belt requirements include pickups, SUVs, and trucks. Safety belts help keep you: 1. From being thrown from your car. Your chances of being killed are five times greater if you are thrown from your car 2. From hitting the dashboard too hard 3. In better control of your car Whatever your reason for not wearing safety belts, it is dangerous and violates state law. Penalties for Driving Without a Safety Belt A driver can receive a citation for not wearing his/her safety belt and for not having each child under the age of 17 in a safety seat or safety belt. Anyone who is at least 15 years of age can receive a citation for not wearing a safety belt. There are no exemptions to the safety belt laws. However, there are some defenses to prosecution for postal workers, individuals who deliver the newspaper, utility workers, solid waste truck workers, certain commercial farm vehicle operators, or medical reasons with a physician’s note.
Driving a vehicle without a safety belt A fine of $25 to $50 Passengers under 8 years old and less than 4’9” tall riding while not properly secured in a child passenger safety seat system A fine of $25 to $250 Passengers at least 15 years old riding without a safety belt A fine of $25 to $50 Passengers under 17 years old riding without a safety belt (fine assessed to driver) A fine of $100 to $200 Children under 18 years old riding in an open-bed pickup or open flatbed truck (fine assessed to driver) A fine of $25 to $200 *Additional suspensions and surcharges may apply. Driving with an invalid license will also result in penalties and surcharges.
It is an offense to drive an open bed truck, an open flatbed truck, or to draw an open flatbed trailer when a child who is younger than 18 years of age is occupying the bed of the truck or trailer. It is a defense to prosecution that the driver was operating or towing the vehicle: 1. In a parade or in an emergency 2. To transport farm-workers from one field to another field on a farm-to-market road, ranch-to-market road, or county road outside a municipality 3. On a beach 4. That is the only vehicle owned or operated by members of a household, or 5. In a hayride permitted by the governing body of or a law enforcement agency of each county or municipality in which the hayride will occur 67
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