The Santa Monica Police Dept.’s traffic unit will target bad behavior by bicyclists this month, a police spokesman said.
California vehicle code law also applies to bicyclists, SMPD spokesman Lt. Jay Moroso said. A person riding a bicycle or operating a pedicab on a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle, he said.
While a majority of the collisions involving bicyclists in Santa Monica have been determined to be the other person’s fault, when a bicyclist has been at fault, the most common reasons have been failure to stop at a traffic signal or unsafe speed, according to Moroso.
Moroso also reminds cyclists it is unlawful for them to ride or coast a bicycle on a sidewalk or inside a parking structure.
Bicyclists are expected to use the city’s bicycle lanes to travel safely, according to the department.
