Delaware § 4196 Bicycling on right side of roadway; exceptions

Delaware Statutes

§ 4196 — Bicycling on right side of roadway; exceptions

Delaware § 4196

JurisdictionDelaware

Title21

PartOperation and Equipment

Ch. 41RULES OF THE ROAD

Subch.Operation of Bicycles and Other Human-Powered Vehicles; Operation of Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices

This text of Delaware § 4196 (Bicycling on right side of roadway; exceptions) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Del. Code tit. 21, § 4196 (2026).

Text

(a)Upon all roadways of sufficient width a bicycle operator shall travel in the right half of the roadway except as follows:

(1)When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction;

(2)When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;

(3)When approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right-turn lane, in which case a person may operate a bicycle in this dedicated lane, even if the bicycle operator does not intend to turn right;

(4)When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including, but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals or surface hazards;

(5)When a paved roadway shoulder exists, in which case a perso

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(a) Upon all roadways of sufficient width a bicycle operator shall travel in the right half of the roadway except as follows:

(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction;

(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;

(3) When approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right-turn lane, in which case a person may operate a bicycle in this dedicated lane, even if the bicycle operator does not intend to turn right;

(4) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including, but not limited to fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals or surface hazards;

(5) When a paved roadway shoulder exists, in which case a person may operate a bicycle in the roadway shoulder with due regard for any traffic control devices intended to regulate or guide traffic or pedestrians;

(6) When a part of a roadway has been set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles including contra-flow bicycle lanes, left-handed cycle tracks or bicycle lanes on 1-way streets and 2-way cycle tracks or bicycle lanes, in which case a person may operate a bicycle in the designated bicycle lane or cycle track; or

(7) When operating a bicycle upon a 1-way highway with 2 or more marked traffic lanes and a posted speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour, in which case a person may operate a bicycle as near the left-hand edge of such roadway as judged safe by the bicycle operator.

(b) Upon all roadways any bicycle proceeding at less than the normal speed of vehicle traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be operated in the right-hand travel lane. If the right-hand travel lane is wide enough for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side-by-side within the lane, a bicycle operator shall operate far enough to the right as judged safe by the operator to facilitate the movement of such overtaking vehicles unless the bicycle operator determines that other conditions make it unsafe to do so.

(c) Persons operating bicycles upon a roadway shall not travel more than 2 abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

(1) Operating bicycles side-by-side does not constitute an impediment to normal traffic at times of no conflicting traffic, if motor vehicle traffic can overtake in the adjacent lane, or if the lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side-by-side within the lane.

(2) On a laned roadway, persons operating bicycles side-by-side shall do so within a single lane.

(d) [Repealed.]