SF 3757

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/08/2022 08:31am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; requiring youth bicycle riders to ride against traffic;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 169.222, subdivision 4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin CITATION.
new text end

new text begin This act may be cited as "Blake's Law."
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 169.222, subdivision 4, is amended
to read:

Subd. 4.

Riding rules.

(a) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride
as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of
the following situations:

(1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;

(2) when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;

(3) when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects,
vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow width lanes, that make it unsafe
to continue along the right-hand curb or edge; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(4) when operating on the shoulder of a roadway or in a bicycle lane deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; or
new text end

new text begin (5) when the operator is under the age of 18, the operator shall ride as close as practicable
to the left-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
new text end

(b) If a bicycle is traveling on a shoulder of a roadway, the bicycle shall travel in the
same direction as adjacent vehicular traffic new text begin , except persons under the age of 18 shall travel
in the opposite direction as adjacent vehicular traffic new text end .

(c) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway or shoulder shall not ride more than two
abreast and shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a laned
roadway, shall ride within a single lane.

(d) A person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk, or across a roadway or shoulder on a
crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal
when necessary before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. No person shall ride a bicycle
upon a sidewalk within a business district unless permitted by local authorities. Local
authorities may prohibit the operation of bicycles on any sidewalk or crosswalk under their
jurisdiction.

(e) An individual operating a bicycle or other vehicle on a bikeway shall leave a safe
distance when overtaking a bicycle or individual proceeding in the same direction on the
bikeway, and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or individual.