August 02, 2023
Cycling on the road in large packs can be punishable with a 100-euro fine, according to the Directorate-General of Traffic.
Surely there have been many occasions when motorists have come across a group of cyclists on the road who occupy almost the entire width of lane, without any proper formation so that it seems almost impossible to overtake. This is just one of some forbidden behaviours that traffic officials are calling out in a bid to remind cyclists and motorists of the correct road rules.
According to the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), "cyclists can ride in parallel, side-by-side, on sections of road with clear visibility and without causing traffic to build up behind". Riding on the road in groups without any sort of order is punishable with a fine of 100 euros, the DGT road traffic authority also added.
On long descents with curves, when safety permits, bicycle riders may leave the shoulder of the road and ride on the right-hand side of the roadway as needed.
Cyclists, exceptionally, may ride in a parallel position, in a column of two, riding as far to the extreme right of the road as possible. On highways, they may only ride on the hard shoulder of the road, without interfering with the traffic roadway.
And for drivers...
When overtaking a cyclist, motorists should completely move across to the adjacent lane on roads with two or more lanes in each direction. On single lane roads, they must maintain the minimum passing distance of 1.5 metres, or they could lose six points from their driving licence.
Motorists shoud never overtake other traffic if a cyclist is riding towards you in the opposite lane. It is impossible to know what movements they might make, and once in the overtaking manoeuvre, it will be difficult to react and any turn could be fatal.
Drivers should not overtake cyclists at high speed either, as the 'slipstream' effect that may be generated could unbalance the cyclist and cause a fall.
Motorists should signal their movements well in advance with their indicators so that cyclists are warned of turns, especially in the city or town centres.
The DGT also warns drivers to be very careful on roads with reduced visibility due to fog or rain, and even more so on mountain roads with curves and steep slopes.
Source:- surinenglish.com