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Vehicular cycling, or VC, is the practice of driving bicycles on roads in a manner that is visible, predictable, and in accordance with the principles for driving a vehicle in traffic. Under the international Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968), a bicycle (or "cycle", as referenced by the convention) is defined to be a vehicle and a cyclist is considered to be a driver. In a minority of jurisdictions (the states of AZ, CA, IA, IL, IN, MN, NY in the USA Sturges, Al (1997). The Bicycle as Vehicle. League of Illinois Bicyclists. Retrieved on 2006-04-19. ) a bicycle is legally defined as a "device" rather than as a vehicle, but in all cases operators of bicycles share a basic set of rights and responsibilities with operators of motor vehicles. Bicyclists, who do not pose an extraordinary danger to others, are not burdened with certain additional responsibilities placed on drivers of motor vehicles — for example, only motor-vehicle operators are required to have a driver\'s license and, in some localities, carry liability insurance.
Sometimes vehicular cycling is referred to as integrated cycling (i.e. integrated with other vehicular traffic, as opposed to cycling on segregated cycling facilities ), integrated traffic cycling, cooperative cycling, or bicycle driving. For information about the relationship between vehicular cycling and bicycle lanes, please see the common misconceptions below.
Additional descriptions of vehicular cycling can be found by following the links below.
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John Forester, a cycling transportation engineer, Jack Taylor. A Brief Biography of John Forester. Retrieved on 2007-03-25. , has written that the principle of vehicular cycling is: "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles". Forester, John (1977). Effective Cycling Instructor\'s Manual (PDF). John Forester. Retrieved on 2007-03-25. This is coherent with the dictionary definition of bicycle: "a vehicle with ... pedals by which it is propelled ...".
Jeffrey A. Hiles, an Instructional Web Designer, Jeffrey A. Hiles. JEFF HILES. Retrieved on 2007-03-25. has written that vehicular-cycling is a philosophy. Jeffrey A. Hiles (1996). The Ideal: Vehicular Cycling. Listening to Bike Lanes. Retrieved on 2007-03-25.
The origins of riding in accordance to vehicular rules of the road go back to the 19th century when bicycles were invented and began sharing the roads with other vehicles, such as wagons and buggies.
John Forester\'s book, Effective Cycling, is generally considered the primary modern reference work about vehicular cycling. Without using the term vehicular cycling per se, John Franklin also describes VC practices in his book, Cyclecraft. Franklin, John [1997] (05 2004). Cyclecraft. Stationery Office Books. ISBN 0-11-702051-6. Retrieved on 2006-09-19. A "nuts and bolts" reference to VC is John S. Allen\'s booklet, Bicycling Street Smarts.
A vehicular cyclist is a cyclist who generally travels within the roadway in accordance with the basic vehicular rules of the road that are shared by all drivers, and the most effective cycling practices. Primarily, this means:
Some non-"VC" actions commonly taken by bicyclists include
A cyclist is using the full lane (also known as "taking the lane" or "claiming the lane") when traveling along near the center of a marked travel lane instead of the curb side. Using the full lane normally precludes passing within the same lane by drivers of wide motor vehicles, while being positioned next to a lane line usually encourages such passing—even when it is hazardous to bicyclists.
Vehicular cyclists commonly use the full lane under the following circumstances:
John Franklin advocates operating bicycles in accordance with the basic rules of the road for vehicle operation. Using terms such as primary riding position — meaning in the center of the traffic lane — and secondary riding position — meaning about 1 meter (3.2 feet) to the side of moving traffic, but not closer than .5 meters (1.6 feet) from the edge of the road. Franklin advocates the primary riding position as the normal position and the secondary riding position only when it is safe and reasonable to allow faster traffic to pass.
Vehicular cycling, including using the full lane when appropriate, is supported by traffic laws in most countries (California\'s Vehicle Code section 21202 is an example of this).
Vehicular cyclists and other drivers who travel in accordance to the vehicular rules of the road use speed positioning between intersections. The basic principle is "slower traffic keeps to the outside; faster traffic to the inside". When lanes are marked, slower drivers generally operate in the outermost travel lane (in a country operating right-hand traffic rules, the outside lane is the right lane). When lanes are not marked, slower drivers generally operate as far to the outside of the traveled way as is reasonably efficient and safe.
Because of the bicycle\'s narrow width, a cyclist can "share" a marked lane (i.e., be passed by overtaking drivers within the lane lines) more often than the driver of a wider vehicle can. A bicyclist who decides to share a lane should ride about a meter (3.2 feet) to the outside of overtaking traffic and about the same distance from roadside hazards (such as the door zone). For this reason, bike lanes which are within a meter of a parking lane should be considered a hazard.
As drivers approach a junction of ways, the principle of destination positioning comes into play, and they should position themselves laterally according to their destination (left, straight or right):
The best rules of the road allow any slower driver (including a cyclist) to establish the center of the outermost marked lane (between the left and right tracks of wider vehicles) as their default or primary position. When traffic is
then the polite driver moves over in the secondary position, nearer to the outer edge of that lane. In general, vehicles (whether pedal or motor) are more visible and predictable when traveling along in the primary position. Bicycles in the secondary position are less likely to be noticed.
The trivial sounding skill of looking back over one\'s shoulder is essential whenever a cyclist needs to
Looking back is usually visible enough that it can suffice as a signal that the cyclist wishes to move or turn in the direction of the look. A sustained look back increases the odds that the signal will be noticed. Compared to hand signaling, looking back has the advantage of allowing the cyclist to keep both hands on the handlebars. Some jurisdictions, however, mandate that bicyclists use hand signals before moving laterally or turning.
Looking back can be challenging to perform: it requires traveling in a straight line while looking behind for up to a few seconds. The natural tendency is to not continue in a straight line, but to turn the bike in the same direction as the look. The tendency to turn can be countered with practice; learning to relax the elbow in the direction of the look is key. The more often looking back is done, the more comfortable and effortless it will become.
Special mirrors are available for mounting on a cyclist\'s helmet, eyeglass, or handlebar. Such mirrors enable the cyclist - with practice - to check for overtaking traffic with less effort. Another advantage is that the check can be accomplished more quickly, reducing the amount of time the cyclist isn\'t watching where they\'re going. Although such mirrors are small in size, the mounting is so close to the eye that the field of view can approach that of an automotive rear-view mirror (although that poses more of a challenge for eyeglass wearers). However, the field of view is usually still limited enough that looking back remains an essential skill for vehicular cycling.
Even with its limitations, mirrors are regarded as an important or even critical piece of safety equipment by some cyclists. Others value mirrors more as a means to avoid the shock of being surprised by high-speed traffic passing from behind.
The concept of negotiation is an important part of traversing across one or more lanes of traffic. The basic idea is to negotiate for the right-of-way in the adjacent lane, move into that lane, and then repeat the process for any additional lanes. This is an important vehicular cycling skill, because it allows the cyclist to merge in with the flow of other traffic instead of cutting across at a right-angle (as a pedestrian would).
The first step in traversing across a lane is looking back for traffic that may be overtaking in that lane. When there is overtaking traffic which will arrive too soon for the cyclist to merge out into the lane (i.e., there is an insufficient gap), the cyclist needs to either wait until that traffic has either passed or has explicitly yielded the right-of-way (by slowing down to let the cyclist in). Simply looking back is often all that is required to signal the cyclist\'s intent, but sometimes a hand signal is helpful in getting overtaking traffic to yield right-of-way. Once right-of-way has been acquired in the adjacent lane, the second step is for the cyclist to move into that lane.
If there is another lane to traverse, the cyclist repeats the steps until there are no more lanes to traverse. The key to the process is that the cyclist merges into traffic lanes as per the rules of the road, one lane at a time.
The higher the relative speed of the overtaking vehicles, the larger the gap that the cyclist needs to merge out into the lane. When the relative speed is large and the gaps are too small for merging, the cyclist either has to wait for traffic conditions to improve or find another route.
If a cyclist does not act like a vehicle driver, they are unlikely to be treated like one by other road users. Acting as a driver is easier when the cyclist believes that:
John Forester has written:
"There is much more to the vehicular-cycling principle than only obeying the traffic laws for drivers. The vehicular-style cyclist not only acts outwardly like a driver, he knows inwardly that he is one. Instead of feeling like a trespasser on roads owned by cars he feels like just another driver with a slightly different vehicle, one who is participating and cooperation in the organized mutual effort to get to desired destinations with the least trouble". (Forester, Bicycle Transportation Engineering, 1994, p. 3).
There is considerable confusion expressed about the meaning of vehicular cycling. Among these, are:
VC has been imprecisely described as "cycling as if you\'re a car". Operators of horses, and buggies, tractor trailers, motor vehicles, and bicycles share the same basic rules of the road for drivers, so a more accurate description of VC is "cycling as if you\'re a driver".
While most of the rules apply to everyone operating a vehicle, there are some exceptions. For example, drivers of heavy motor vehicles (car, motorcycle, etc.) are required to be licensed because of the extraordinary danger posed to others by the operation of those vehicles.
All drivers should use the principle of destination positioning when approaching and crossing junctions with streets, alleys, driveways, etc. Another principle, which applies more often when cycling than when motoring, is speed positioning; drivers who are traveling slowly should (when traveling between intersections and not passing or turning) keep to the outside marked travel lane or to the outside of the road (when such lanes aren\'t available in that direction).
Cyclists who ride in the center of a lane needlessly impeding faster traffic are sometimes mistakenly referred to as vehicular cyclists; yet by definition a cyclist who needlessly impedes faster traffic is violating the vehicular rules of the road and is hence not riding vehicularly. A motorist who needlessly impedes faster traffic will be cited for that offense.
Because the practice of using the full lane when it is safe and appropriate to do so often distinguishes vehicular cyclists from other types of cyclists, the meaning of VC is sometimes used to mean "taking the lane". For example, someone might claim that they ride "VC" on part of their commute, but not the whole time, meaning that some of the time they ride in a lane-sharing position near the edge of the road (as if that\'s not VC because they\'re not using the full traffic lane when they do that). But since a fundamental principle of vehicular behavior is "speed positioning", drivers of slower vehicles often operate "as far outside as practicable" in order to allow faster traffic to pass. So do vehicular cyclists.
Another misconception about VC -- that riding in a bicycle lane is contrary to the principles of VC -- probably stems from a misunderstanding of John Forester\'s teachings about bicycle lanes. Forester has written that Effective Cycling does not train a cyclist to avoid riding in a bicycle lane, but rather to choose their lateral position as if the bicycle lane stripe is not there. Cyclists who end up in a bicycle lane should be extra cautious with regard to people who look for vehicles only in the traffic lanes, watch for the road debris that tends to accumulate there, and avoid crossing the solid stripe without first yielding to other traffic.
Also, while many VC advocates oppose bike lanes, what they actually oppose is the bike lane stripe, not the space demarcated by the stripe. Nor do they oppose riding in that space (whether it is demarcated or not) when safe, reasonable and appropriate to do so for the current factors and conditions. The opposition to the stripe is based on the widespread perception that the demarcated "bike lane" space is the only place where bicyclists should ride regardless of current factors and conditions.
To understand vehicular cycling, it is important to fully comprehend the subtle but significant distinction between the principles for driving a vehicle in traffic and the laws which regulate driving in a given jurisdiction. Vehicular cycling is based on the principles, not the laws.
To illustrate the distinction between these two concepts, consider the principle that vehicles should always travel within the portion of the road intended for the movement of vehicular traffic (a.k.a. the Traveled WayTraveled Way definition. MUTCD Chapter 1A. FHWA (2003). Retrieved on 2006-04-24. ). Now consider those laws which prohibit drivers of a particular class of vehicle (bicyclists) from traveling within the Traveled Way when a path (such as a sidewalk) exists along side.Sidepaths. Engineering and Planning : Sidepaths. Bicycle Transportation Institute (2002). Retrieved on 2006-04-24. Notice the difference between principle and law in this example.
John Forester illustrated the distinction in another way when he wrote about turn signals:
The principles of driving require that a driver signal those who will likely be affected by a change in the movement of the driver\'s vehicle. If a look back meets this requirement when merging, then that is all which is required of a vehicular cyclist. While the law may require cyclists to use their arms to signal, the principle does not dictate that a vehicular cyclist must do so. Vehicular cycling requires sound judgment in the application of the principles of driving, not blind compliance with the law.
An alternative to vehicular cycling is pedestrian bicycling, or bicycling according to the pedestrian rules of the road. Pedestrian bicycling often means riding on sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and other pedestrian facilities. In those jurisdictions where such behavior is illegal, the cyclist may be held liable for any personal injuries or property damage that results. There are peculiar hazards associated with this activity, including (but not limited to)
Many cyclists use a combination of vehicular cycling and pedestrian bicycling. This approach has the drawback that extra care must be taken when transitioning from one mode to the other, since transitioning often leads to actions not expected by others. In particular, during a transition, a cyclist must yield the right-of-way to both pedestrians and vehicle drivers. Car-bike collision statistics indicate that those who operate bicycles (and other pedal vehicles) in contradiction with the vehicular rules of the road are particularly vulnerable.
Examples of pedestrian bicycling:
In addition to reading about vehicular cycling in textbooks, a cyclist can participate in training courses offered by organizations such as the League of American Bicyclists and the Canadian Cycling Association.CCA bicycle education and safety. CAN-BIKE PROGRAM. Canadian Cycling Association. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
Another source for education regarding the basics of vehicular cycling is John S. Allen\'s pamphlet, Bicycling Street Smarts, available for free on his website (see below).
Advocates of vehicular cycling—such as John Forester, John Franklin and John S. Allen—argue that cycling in accordance to the vehicular rules of the road is the safest and most effective means to use a bicycle for transportation.
Some VC advocates contend that cyclists should only ride vehicularly, believing that non-vehicular cycling is not only less safe, but also leads to less societal acceptance of cyclists who do cycle vehicularly.
Some VC advocates oppose segregated cycling facilities because such government sanctioned segregation discourages cyclists from integrating themselves into traffic while encouraging the belief that someone cycling has less of a right to travel than someone motoring. An example of the practical consequences; bicycle lanes oblige a bicyclist going straight at an intersection to do so while next to the curb, whereas a vehicular cyclist would position themselves away from the curb where a motorist would. Similarly, bike paths and bike lanes that are on only one side of the road encourage wrong-way riding, producing two predictable results:
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