Ontario, Canada = Where on the road to ride a bicycle

[Sir Ridesalot]

"Thus, it would be regulation 147 of the Highway Traffic Act, here is a link:
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK236

Definitions

1. (1) In this Act,

“bicycle” includes a tricycle, a unicycle and a power-assisted bicycle but does not include a motor-assisted bicycle; (“bicyclette”)

“power-assisted bicycle” means a bicycle that,

(a) is a power-assisted bicycle as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations made under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Canada),

(b) bears a label affixed by the manufacturer in compliance with the definition referred to in clause (a),

(c) has affixed to it pedals that are operable, and

(d) is capable of being propelled solely by muscular power; (“bicyclette assistée”)

“vehicle” includes a motor vehicle, trailer, traction engine, farm tractor, road-building machine, bicycle and any vehicle drawn, propelled or driven by any kind of power, including muscular power, but does not include a motorized snow vehicle or a street car; (“véhicule”)

Slow vehicles to travel on right side

147. (1) Any vehicle travelling upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at that time and place shall, where practicable, be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic or as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 147 (1).
Exception

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a driver of a,

(a) vehicle while overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;

(b) vehicle while preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;

(c) road service vehicle; or

(d) bicycle in a lane designated under subsection 153 (2) for travel in the opposite direction of traffic. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 147 (2); 2015, c X, s. 41.

Overtaking and passing rules
Passing meeting vehicles

148. (1) Every person in charge of a vehicle on a highway meeting another vehicle shall turn out to the right from the centre of the roadway, allowing the other vehicle one-half of the roadway free. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (1).
Vehicles or equestrians overtaken

(2) Every person in charge of a vehicle or on horseback on a highway who is overtaken by a vehicle or equestrian travelling at a greater speed shall turn out to the right and allow the overtaking vehicle or equestrian to pass. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (2).
Exception

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a person in charge of a road service vehicle or a road-building machine or apparatus while the machine or apparatus is engaged in the construction of a highway. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (3).
Vehicles meeting bicycles

(4) Every person in charge of a vehicle on a highway meeting a person travelling on a bicycle shall allow the cyclist sufficient room on the roadway to pass. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (4).
Vehicles or equestrians overtaking others

(5) Every person in charge of a vehicle or on horseback on a highway who is overtaking another vehicle or equestrian shall turn out to the left so far as may be necessary to avoid a collision with the vehicle or equestrian overtaken, and the person overtaken is not required to leave more than one-half of the roadway free. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (5).

Bicycles overtaken

(6) Every person on a bicycle or motor assisted bicycle who is overtaken by a vehicle or equestrian travelling at a greater speed shall turn out to the right and allow the vehicle or equestrian to pass and the vehicle or equestrian overtaking shall turn out to the left so far as may be necessary to avoid a collision. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (6).
Same

(6.1) Every person in charge of a motor vehicle on a highway who is overtaking a person travelling on a bicycle shall, as nearly as may be practicable, leave a distance of not less than one metre between the bicycle and the motor vehicle and shall maintain that distance until safely past the bicycle. 2015, c. 14, s. 42.
Same

(6.2) The one metre distance required by subsection (6.1) refers to the distance between the extreme right side of the motor vehicle and the extreme left side of the bicycle, including all projections and attachments. 2015, c. 14, s. 42.
Driver unable to turn out is to stop

(7) Where one vehicle is met or overtaken by another, if by reason of the weight of the load on either of the vehicles so meeting or on the vehicle so overtaken the driver finds it impracticable to turn out, he or she shall immediately stop, and, if necessary for the safety of the other vehicle and if required so to do, he or she shall assist the person in charge thereof to pass without damage. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (7).

Moving from roadway to roadway on divided highways

156. (1) Where a highway is divided into two separate roadways, no person shall operate or drive a vehicle or lead, ride or drive an animal,

(a) along or on the highway except on the roadway on the right-hand side, having regard to the direction in which the vehicle is being operated or driven or the animal is being led, ridden or driven; or

(b) from one roadway to the other roadway except where a crossing is provided. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 156 (1).
Exception — road service vehicles

(2) Despite clause (1) (a), a road service vehicle may be operated or driven on the shoulder of the highway if the vehicle remains on its side of the separation. 2015, c. 14, s. 46.
Same — bicycles

(3) Despite clause (1) (a), a bicycle may be ridden or operated on the paved shoulder of the highway if the bicycle remains on its side of the separation. 2015, c. 14, s. 46.

Towing of persons on bicycles, toboggans, etc., prohibited

160. No driver of a vehicle or street car shall permit any person riding, riding on or operating a bicycle, coaster, toboggan, sled, skateboard, toy vehicle or any other type of conveyance or wearing roller skates, in-line skates or skis to attach the same, himself or herself to the vehicle or street car on a highway. 2015, c. 14, s. 48.

Passing street cars
Standing street car, etc.

166. (1) Where a person in charge of a vehicle or on a bicycle or on horseback or leading a horse on a highway overtakes a street car or a car of an electric railway, operated in or near the centre of the roadway, which is stationary for the purpose of taking on or discharging passengers, he or she shall not pass the car or approach nearer than 2 metres measured back from the rear or front entrance or exit, as the case may be, of the car on the side on which passengers are getting on or off until the passengers have got on or got safely to the side of the street, as the case may be, but this subsection does not apply where a safety zone has been set aside and designated by a by-law passed under section 9, 10 or 11 of the Municipal Act, 2001 or under section 7 or 8 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, as the case may be. 2006, c. 32, Sched. C, s. 24 (6).

Prohibition as to passing street cars on left-hand side

(2) No person in charge of a vehicle or on a bicycle or on horseback or leading a horse, overtaking a street car or the car of an electric railway, operated in or near the centre of the roadway, which is stationary or in motion, shall pass on the left side of the car, having reference to the direction in which the car is travelling, but this subsection does not apply to a fire department vehicle while proceeding to a fire or answering a fire alarm call or where the street car or car of an electric railway is being operated on a highway designated for the use of one-way traffic. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 166 (2); 2009, c. 5, s. 50.

Alternating highbeams on other vehicles prohibited

(2) No person shall use highbeam headlamps that produce alternating flashes of white light on any vehicle other than a vehicle referred to in subsection (1). R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 169 (2)."
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Cheers

[Frank Krygowski]

Perhaps you should state your point explicitly, Sir. Are you hoping to
pretend that bicyclists must legally become gutter bunnies? If not,
what is this post about?

But it appears that the law regarding bicycles being passed is not
significantly different for the law regarding motor vehicles being
passed. The phrase "turn out to the right from the centre of the
roadway, allowing the other vehicle one-half of the roadway free" at the
beginning of section 148 seems to indicate that one is permitted to
drive down the center of a road when one is not being passed. I assume
that's a leftover bit of law now applicable only to narrow roads lacking
center lines; why else would someone be at the center?

The repetition of the phrase for bicycles doesn't seem to mean that a
cyclist must ride in the gutter, or may not control a lane too narrow to
safely share.

Of course, maybe I misinterpreted your point. In which case I guess
I'll be cursed for hijacking your thread. Oh well!


--
- Frank Krygowski

[W. Wesley Groleau]

On 08-28-2016 16:26, Frank Krygowski wrote:
> The repetition of the phrase for bicycles doesn't seem to mean that a
> cyclist must ride in the gutter, or may not control a lane too narrow to
> safely share.

I went through it rather quickly, but it seemed to require bicyclists
to get out of the way so the motorist can pass. Was "turn out"
adequately defined?

--
Wes Groleau

[Frank Krygowski]

Not that I could see; but a few paragraphs above, it similarly required
motorists to get out of the way so another motorist could pass.

I suspect these laws date to the 1920s, when most roads were very narrow
and lacked center lines, and people tended to drive down the middle. I
think they're due for an update.


--
- Frank Krygowski

[Sir Ridesalot]

One of the things i found interesting was that motorists can pass a bicycle within the 1 meter distance under certain conditions. So, who gets to say what conditions neccessitate a motorist passing a bicyclist within that one meter? The motorist can say it was needed but how'd a bicyclist prove it resulted in an unsafe pass? Seems to me that the newer one meter passing law with its exceptions makes for a pretty wishy washy law. Note tyhat nowhere does it state that a bicyclist must ride in the gutter as some here like to interpret "as far right as practical".

Cheers

[cl...@snyder.on.ca]

On a multilane road a cyclist MAY "take the lane" if required. I
drive my bike where the pavement is safe to do so. On some roads that
is the middle of the right lane. If traffic comes up behind me and the
surface is too rough on the extreme right I stay in my lane, and
"allow" them to pass on the left, the same as if I was driving my
truck at a slow speed.. I do follow the rules of the road - stopping
at stop signs, and signalling my turns

[Frank Krygowski]

Exactly!

- Frank Krygowski

[jbeattie]

I'm having trouble teasing that out of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. You wonder why a civilized province like Ontario feels the need to hold on to such a statutory museum piece (with a few modern improvements).

-- Jay Beattie

[Frank Krygowski]

Based on experience elsewhere: It seems to usually be much easier to
lobby for modifications to existing laws, rather than wholesale
re-writes. If an advocacy group or a sponsoring legislator can say
"This is just a detail improvement," I think most legislators won't
think about it very deeply. If you propose a major overhaul, it may
draw more attention; and given that most legislators are not cyclists,
it may draw more opposition.

But that's just a guess.

--
- Frank Krygowski