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:
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This act may be cited as "Blake's Law."
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Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 169.222, subdivision 4, is amended
to read:
(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
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(4) when operating on the shoulder of a roadway or in a bicycle lanedeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ; or
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(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.
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(b) If a bicycle is traveling on a shoulder of a roadway, the bicycle shall travel in the
same direction as adjacent vehicular trafficnew text begin , except persons under the age of 18 shall travel
in the opposite direction as adjacent vehicular trafficnew 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.