In Ontario, cyclists are expected to follow all the rules of the road that motor vehicles follow. There are also some cyclist specific rules as well. Things like, cyclists shall not ride through a crosswalk or through a crossover and you are not to ride two on a bike.
A bicycle is the smallest vehicle on the road. It is important, therefore, for cyclists to be visible, to ride predictably, to know how traffic works, and to communicate with other road users. Do not assume drivers of motor vehicles will see you.
Rules of the road Charges:
The Guelph Police do enforce all of the rules of the road for cyclists. For cycling specific laws there were:
2014 6 tickets issued
2015 10 tickets issued
2016 to date 7 tickets have been issued.
The numbers for all other HTA/Cyclist offences were not available.
The City of Guelph also has a bylaw against cyclists riding on city sidewalks. Although the Guelph Police do enforce this bylaw, we do use discretion and look at every situation in its entirety before issuing a ticket.
2014 5 tickets were issued
2015 32 tickets issued
2016 to date, 27 tickets have been issued.
EQUIPMENT Rules for Cyclists –
Lighting:
It is the law that your bicycle must have a white front light and a rear red light or reflector when you ride between one-half hour before sunset and one-half hour after sunrise. As well, the law requires white reflective strips on the front forks and red reflective strips on the rear stays.
Bells and horns:
It is the law that, all bikes have a working bell or horn so that you can announce your approach.
Helmets:
In Ontario, it is the law that every cyclist under the age of 18 wears an approved bicycle helmet.
It is also the duty of the parent or guardian to ensure that a person under the age of 16 wears an approved helmet while riding a bicycle.
Brakes:
It is the law to have at least one braking system acting on the rear wheel that will allow the bike to stop safely.
Guelph Police do issue tickets for equipment violations.
Equipment charges:
2014 60 tickets were issued.
2015 41 tickets issued.
2016, to date 16 equipment tickets have been issued.
Ride safe and obey the rules of the road!