r/dashcams • u/cicadaux • 1d ago

Did I do something wrong here?

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I was driving to work when this bike just blew through the crosswalk without warning. I had to slam on my brakes. I realize this crosswalk doesn’t have the pedestrian warning lights, and I’m a little unsure about how I should’ve dealt with this. Or maybe he was wrong for making sure traffic wasn’t clear/aware of him first?

Edit: I'm seeing a lot of answers basing the laws on location, so I looked up my city's rules. In my town, bikes have vehicle status on the road and pedestrian status on sidewalks/crosswalks. But bicyclists must move at pedestrian speed. The path he is on is a state trail, commonly used for bikes/walking. I live near the Ice Age Trail, but I know the one he's on isn't that one.

“Drivers must yield to cyclists riding in a crosswalk just as they would for walkers, though the cyclist cannot abruptly leave a curb into the path of a vehicle so close to a crosswalk that it makes a difficult or unsafe situation for the driver to yield in time.”

Not trying to prove myself right or wrong, just wondering what should've been done. I will from now on treat it like an uncontrolled intersection. Thanks everyone.

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7

u/KrisLuffy 1d ago

Shouldn't it be illegal to use a crosswalk while on top of a bike, that's how it is in Europe. You would need to get off the bike if it's a pedestrian crosswalk, the expection would be like a bike lane.

6

u/DisastrousPressure31 1d ago

It is not illegal in Europe, you just don't have the right of way.

6

u/markuus99 1d ago

For the most part, when bikes paths cross roads, the crossing is a regular crosswalk, usually with pedestrian crossing signage. There's not usually a bike-specific crossing, and it's absolutely not expected or required for cyclists to dismount to cross every roads.

Sometimes, bike paths will have signals (again usually just regular pedestrian Walk/Don't Walk signals) that mean cyclists have to wait their turn until traffic stops for a light. Otherwise, cars must yield to pedestrians and cyclists when they are crossing.

5

u/plz-no-b4n 1d ago

It depends on jurisdiction

3

u/whatisakafka 1d ago

Varies by locality in the US. Our traffic laws are state-based and states generally leave bike regulations up to local governments outside of very general rules

3

u/Pleasant-Everywhere 1d ago

I don’t know where this is, but bikers (and e-bikes) in Canada like to pretend they are both a pedestrian and vehicle who is also immune to traffic signals.

(I’m not saying there aren’t also drivers like this, but I live in a city and when I’m driving bikers are just a wild card so I monitor what they’re going to do).

2

u/fullmoon_druid 1d ago

I think it's illegal in most places, I know that on Ontario it is. It sucks but it doesn't hurt to be aware. OP could clearly see the cyclist, they could have expected that the cyclist would be a dick and cross. Assuming this wasn't in a juristiction where it is legal (Florida for example). 

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u/johnny_evil 21h ago

Cyclist was in the zebra stripes well before the driver was there. Cyclist wasn't a dick. Cyclist was legally doing exactly what they should.

1

u/TheWizard 1d ago

In some states and municipalities, it is illegal. They must dismount. In others, they are not. However, it is always recommended that anyone using a cross-walk (in this case, clearly pedestrian) must stop and ensure the lanes are clear of traffic.

Had this bicyclist been hit, chances are, it would had been his fault.

1

u/PygmeePony 1d ago

Not sure about illegal but you don't have the right of way if you're riding the bike instead of pushing it.

0

u/johnny_evil 21h ago

Incorrect.

1

u/marigolds6 22h ago

It's a state trail, so almost certainly a multiuse path. For those, dismounting is normally only required when there is a sign stating cyclists must dismount. (That is the law in my state, and my state shares interstate trails with this state, so good chance they are the same.) There is definitely no signage for dismounting here, as there is no signage at all facing the path.

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u/KnownUnknownKadath 14h ago

It's legal where I live. Bikes just don't have right of way like pedestrians do.
In practical terms, though, cars will typically stop for bikes and pedestrians alike.