Slow Vehicles Include Cyclists

Q: The semi-rural 35 mph road in front of my house has a double yellow line about two miles long. It’s quite steep in places, and there are no shoulders or bike lanes. When approaching a cyclist who cannot go above 5-10 mph, are you allowed to pass if there’s a place where there is sufficient visibility to do so safely? If not, what is the responsibility of each party to avoid blocking traffic?

A: I often think about this question while on one of my favorite biking routes (favorite for the view, not the cycling infrastructure). There’s a two-mile stretch of road that follows the curves of the shoreline, with a double yellow line, no shoulder, and nowhere to pull over. The speed limit is 40 mph and, while it’d be unsafe to pass another car, there’s enough visibility to quickly pass a cyclist that’s going 15-20 mph.

As a cyclist I prefer to have drivers cross the double yellow and pass me, rather than try to squeeze past me in the lane (the law requires at least three feet between the driver and cyclist) or have a bunch of cars stack up behind me. But as the guy that writes about road rules, Washington doesn’t have a provision to legally cross a double yellow line to pass a cyclist.

If we lived in Colorado, Kansas, Virginia, or Oregon I’d answer this differently. They are among the states that allow drivers to cross a double yellow line to pass a cyclist (when it’s safe and doesn’t interfere with other traffic.)  Why have some states decided it’s okay to pass a bike in a no-passing zone? These zones are set based on minimum passing sight distances – basically how far a driver needs to see ahead to safely pass a slower vehicle in the opposing traffic lane. The distances assume that drivers will be passing vehicles traveling at somewhat similar speeds. A driver may be able to pass a cyclist in half the distance or less compared to what’s needed to pass a car.

Back in 2013 there was a bill in Washington that would have added the following exception to the no-passing rule: “When overtaking and passing a pedestrian or bicyclist so as to maintain a safe distance of at least three feet.” It’s nice that the motivation (leaving room between drivers and cyclists) was built into the law. However, it didn’t make it to a vote. This is another reminder that states don’t all agree on what safe driving looks like.

Because Washington drivers are not legally allowed to cross the centerline to pass, the responsibility here for not blocking traffic falls primarily on the cyclist. In the past I’ve written about how to pass a cyclist, but one thing I didn’t mention is that the requirement for slow-moving vehicles to pull over for a queue of five vehicles behind them does not exempt cyclists. That doesn’t mean though, that a cyclist must pull over the moment the fifth vehicle joins the line. The law specifies that the operator of the slow vehicle “shall turn off the roadway wherever sufficient area for a safe turn-out exists.” Slower road users shouldn’t put themselves at risk by pulling over at a dangerous location.

Also, even though the law sets the number at five, you may want to pull over for fewer vehicles, especially when your route has limited safe options for allowing drivers to pass. For me, the joy of cycling is diminished by drivers lining up behind me, so I’m inclined to take any good opportunity to let drivers get past me.