Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety | Melbourne Beach FL

Persons riding bicycles or mopeds on the roadway have the same rights and duties as drivers of motor vehicles. Bicycle riders can receive citations for traffic violations. You should familiarize yourself with these rules as they are traffic laws in the State of Florida.

A bicycle rider can be charged criminally and/or fined as a driver of a motor vehicle if a traffic violation has occurred in the presence of a law enforcement officer.

Bicycle riders 14 years of age and under can be assessed a $15.00 fine. Bicycle riders over 14 years of age can be assessed a fine of $83.00 for a moving infraction and/or $49.00 for a non-moving infraction, and can be assessed points on their driver’s license. Bicycle riders can be charged criminally for criminal traffic infractions.

Safety Tips:

Always wear a bicycle helmet.
If you must ride at night or in low light, always use both a front and rear light and reflector.
Always wear bright clothing, such as yellow or fluorescent colors (days) and retro-reflective materials (nights).
Keep your brakes in good working order. Be able to stop in 15 feet at 10 mph.
Carry parcels in a backpack, bike rack, basket, or trailer.
Obey all traffic laws, signs, and signals.
Walk your bike to the street before mounting it.
Look left-right-left for a safe gap in traffic when entering the road or crossing an intersection.
At an intersection or driveway, avoid being alongside a vehicle which could suddenly turn right or left into your path.
When riding on a sidewalk or bike path, watch for cars entering/exiting driveways, and always yield the right of way to pedestrians.
Give an audible signal when passing a pedestrian, and avoid riding on a sidewalk in a commercial area.
Ride on the right side of the road with traffic.
Normally ride single file; never more than 2 side by side (do not impede traffic when riding side by side).
Check behind you before changing lanes (mirrors make it easier, but look back as well).
Be aware of pedestrians and other vehicles; learn to anticipate their actions.
Signal your moves to other vehicle operators by pointing in the direction you are going to turn.
Be aware of potential hazards like road litter, potholes, gravel, storm grates, and opening car doors.
Do not wear headphones while riding a bicycle.
When transporting a child (up to 40 pounds or 4 years old) use an approved carrier and helmets.
It is unlawful to ride a bicycle under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Keep your bicycle locked when not in use.

Remember to wear a helmet and Happy Biking!

Bike Registration:

Kids can come by the police station and get their bikes registered. Bike registration is simple. All we do is get the registration number off the bike. This way, if your bike is stolen we will have information about your bike so we can identify it.

Pedestrian Safety

Through education, enforcement, and outreach, pedestrian safety programs are directed toward reducing pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Walking is encouraged as an alternate mode of transportation to motor vehicle travel. Additional goals include: reducing the number of impaired pedestrian injuries and fatalities, improving the safety of elderly pedestrians and reaching diverse communities.

Because walking is such a routine part of everyday life, many people do not consider the safety aspects of walking. For instance, most injuries to walkers happen when a vehicle hits them because the driver could not see the walker or the walker and driver were not paying close enough attention.

According to FS 316.130(7)(b) The driver of a vehicle at any crosswalk where signage so indicates shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross.

The key to remember is to See And Be Seen . It is a good idea when walking, especially at dawn, dusk, and other low-light conditions, to wear light colors or bright clothing so that you can be easily seen. Fluorescent colors such as blaze orange, hot pink, and day-glow green are ideal in daytime but not at nighttime.

To See And Be Seen, keep in mind that:

Intersections are especially difficult for older pedestrians. You are most at risk when first stepping off the curb, because drivers may not see you until you’re actually in the roadway. Always stop at the curb and look left, right, and then left again for cars before entering the roadway. Don’t assume the drivers see you unless they signal for you to cross.
Turning vehicles can be especially dangerous at intersections. Drivers are concentrating on making their turns and avoiding oncoming traffic, so they might not see you! Exaggerate your head turns so that you look in all directions, including behind you. Make sure you look for vehicles making right turns on red and for vehicles making left turns. Always make sure the driver of a vehicle that is turning sees you.
Understand crosswalk signals. The flashing DON’T WALK signal, like the yellow caution light, means that you shouldn’t start to cross the street. However, if you are in the street when the signal begins flashing, don’t stop or return to the curb. Continue to walk as fast as you can, comfortably, until you reach the other side or a pedestrian island. Some areas are using a new WALK signal that counts down the seconds remaining for you to cross the intersection safely. When the seconds run out, a steady DON’T WALK light will come on because the traffic light is about to change.
Walk with a friend. Walking with a friend will add to the pleasure of your walk and increase your safety as well, as long as you are watching out for each other. Enjoy your conversation, but don’t let it distract you from watching out for road and traffic hazards as you walk.

A Matter of Life and Death: 20 mph versus 40 mph

A little slower speed can mean a world of difference for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrians hit by a car traveling 40 mph have a mere 15 percent chance of survival. At 30 mph, those odds increase to 45 percent. By contrast, a pedestrian has an 85 percent chance of survival if hit by a car moving at 20 mph.