What Every New Driver Needs to Know
Suppose you're a young driver about to enroll in an online driver's ed course in California, excited about adding a driver's license to your wallet and car keys to your keychain. In that case, this is probably one of the most amazing times in your life.
At OnlineDriversEd.com, a leading California online driving school, we know how exciting the prospect of freedom can be. So it's a shame to spoil all that excitement with such a downer of an article.
While we'd love to pretend that getting your driver's license and hitting the road for the first time will be a walk in the parkor a drive by the park since you'll have your license we're not going to do that. That first time out on the road with your license will be scary, even after you've taken a state-approved online driver education class.
As an online driver's ed in California provider that takes safety ridiculously seriously, we feel it's important to address a road safety issue that many new drivers enrolled in an online driving school class often overlook. The issue? Sharing the road with people other than operators of motor vehicles.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2007 there were 698 bicyclist deaths on our nation's roads. While the good news is that the most recent numbers show a 14% drop from 10 years prior, the bad news is that there were still 698 unnecessary deaths involving bicycles in this country.
Bicycle injuries, while not as serious as deaths, are no laughing matter, either. In 2007, there were 43,000 reported bicycle injuries.
So what do all these numbers mean? Is it unsafe for cyclists to be out on California roads? Are California drivers not paying attention to the people they share the road with? Are they forgetting everything they've learned in an online drivers ed class? Are bicyclists to blame?
While nobody can say for sure, understanding how bicyclists and drivers of motor vehicles share the road can help everyone stay safe. Here's a quick look at some of the rules bicyclists in California must adhere to:
- Under California law, bicyclists are legally allowed to ride on certain sections of freeways.
- Bicyclists must ride in the same direction as traffic. Riding against traffic is not permitted.
- Bicyclists should not ride on the sidewalk. They must ride in a straight line as close as safely possible to the right curb or edge of the roadway.
- When making a left or right turn, a bicyclist must use the appropriate turn lane.
If you thought bicyclists belonged on the sidewalk or weren't aware of any of the other rules, don't worry. You're not alone. Thankfully, you'll learn even more about how bicyclists must behave on the road when you sign up for an online drivers ed course.
Whether you share the road with a bicyclist, or whether you are a bicyclist, you need to know the rules of the road as it pertains to non-motor vehicles. OnlineDriversEd.com is pleased to help shed light on the matter.