Bicycles on rotary question
 

I was driving on Buena Vista going south to Brownwood yesterday. I was in the right lane and planned to stay in that lane to go straight through the rotary. When I approached to first exit to the right in the rotary a bicycle with 2 people on it approached the rotary and seemed like they were going to slow down and wait for me to pass, then a the last moment cut in front of me and across to go another exit in the rotary. I stepped on the brakes and let them through after laying on the horn after my wife was screaming. After the horn went off I think the woman in the back of the bike made so e kind of gesture to me. If I would have not been payig attention it could have been a very messy deal.

My question is, did I do something wrong? Do bikes have some kind right of way that I do not know about or should allow for? Seems to me to be dangerous to slow down to allow anything to enter the rotary. I was under the impression after taking the AARP safe driving class in TV that all vehicles in the rotary have the right of way over any entering the rotary. Just trying to do the right thing and make sure this does not happen again.

What is a rotary? If a bike is on the road they have the same rights as you do and obey the same laws as a car.

If you are in the rotary, all vehicles on road, including bikes, entering the rotary MUST (sure they will!) yield to you!

I use the rule of thumb that they will pull out on me so I proceed with extreme caution!
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As you describe the situation, you were in the right. The cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as any other vehicle operators. In the case that you described, I am presuming the cyclists were on a regular 2-wheeled tandem. Sometimes, it seems that 2-wheeled cyclists are willing to take too great risks to maintain their momentum than, perish the thought, stop and put their feet down. For that reason, when I'm driving in roundabouts, I assume that 2-wheeled cyclists I encounter may take the right of way, even if they are not legally entitled to it. I yield, in the interest of safety.

Glad that nobody was injured.

Here's where the problem lies. They should not have the same rights on the road until they are forced to buy a vehicle registration just like everything else that uses our roadways.

How about pedestrians who ALWAYS have the right of way. Should they be registered too??

Did I read you right? You were in the right lane planning on going straight? If they crossed from the left lane ahead of you to exit...then you'd have been in the wrong. Not sure if I got your "word picture" correct or not. Also would pretain if they'd been a motor vehicle. Cars in the right lane are to yield.....

OMG! Nobody's screwing any license plate into my butt!!! :22yikes:
I read it that the bike was entering into the roundabout from the right and not exiting from the left lane! Bike was certainly in the wrong. It's possible that the biker was mistakenly using the general rule on right-of-way in this situation, where the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way at an intersection.

So the 50,000 golf carts in TV need registrations too !!! Not to mention a personal license to cross the street to get my mail.

The 50k golf carts dont drive on the streets. :mad:

As LAshby50 says, the cyclists approached the rotary from the right, they were not in the rotary. The cyclists should have yielded the right of way. But more often than not, as was also stated by Chazz, it is too much of an imposition for many cyclists to stop and have to put their feet down to yield the right of way so they take chances hoping to get away with sneaking in. IMO, LAshby50 did the correct thing by yielding to safety and letting the cyclist get away with it.

They don't???:confused:

I may be ignorant here, but why is a bicycle in a roundabout anyway? Aren't they supposed to stay on the golf cart lanes? Just curious as when I was visiting, the golf cart rental man said that golf carts are never to be in a roundabout, so why wouldn't the bikes stay out of them, too?

I agree! It really doesn't matter who has the right away if someone is killed or hurt. it always pays to act like everyone else on the road is just plain nuts

Legally, a bicycle is not a motor vehicle as are golf carts! Bicyclists can ride their bikes anywhere.