We are concerned Florida is still one of the most dangerous states for cyclists and want to take this opportunity to remind cyclists, pedestrians and motorists of the updated Florida bike safety law. Passed to improve bike safety on our roadways, this bill went into effect on July 1, 2021, and was .
Here is a summary of some of the updated Florida bike safety law changes which were made to the existing statute:
- Motorists can make a right turn while passing a bicyclist only if the bicyclist is a minimum of 20 feet from the intersection.
- Florida driver’s license exams will now include bicycle safety questions.
- Cyclists in groups of 10 or fewer can proceed through an intersection after coming to a complete stop. Motorists must let the last rider pass before proceeding.
- Motorists MUST obey the 3 feet passing law.
Drivers who do not obey the law could be subject to a non-criminal moving violation.
To read more about these important updates, visit the Florida Senate website: CS/SB 950: Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety.
Northeast Florida Bicyclist Crash Facts:
- 6,146 Floridians were injured in bike-related crashes in 2021. Of those, Northeast Florida DOT District 2 reported 500 injuries, which includes 13 fatalities. The number of fatal injuries from bicycle crashes declined from 23 in 2020.
- Bicycle fatality and serious injury crashes made up about 8% of the total fatality and serious injury crashes on our Northeast Florida District roadways during 2021.
- Almost ¾ of all bike crashes happen in broad daylight.
- Bike crashes tend not to be the result of the cyclist or motorist being impaired.
- Duval County had the most serious bike-related injuries and fatalities in District 2 in 2021.
The Traffic Safety Team website has dozens of important bicycle safety tips and resources. They are available for free. Below are some that you may download, print and share.
- “No Regrets When You Drive with Care and Give 3 feet When Passing.”
- Bike Safe Activity Card
- Pedestrian/Bicyclist Safety Tips
- The Adventures in Biking Safely
Visit our Bicycle Safety page for more resources. Materials are free to download and share. There are bookmarks, tip cards, posters and social media graphics. We also have a Safety for Kids page with bike safety activities!
