Cyclists

By the end of this topic you can

• You can pass a cyclist with a safe, legal gap.
• You can check for cyclists before turning right or left.
• You can open your door without endangering a passing cyclist.
• You can use bike lanes and bike boxes correctly as a driver.
• You can predict common cyclist movements, such as avoiding potholes.

What you need to know and understand

• Ontario requires drivers to leave at least one metre when passing a cyclist, where practical; failing to do so can bring a fine and two demerit points.
• Quebec requires at least 1 metre where the limit is 50 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres where it is higher.
• Other provinces have their own rules or guidance; check your handbook.
• Bike lanes are reserved for cyclists. Enter one only when needed and safe, such as to turn right.
• Do not stop in a bike box; stop behind it.
• Cyclists have no brake lights, so leave extra following distance.
• Check mirrors and your blind spot before opening a door on the traffic side.

Passing with space

When you come up behind a cyclist, slow down and look for a safe chance to pass. If the lane is too narrow to leave the legal gap, wait behind until you can move partly or fully into the next lane. A few seconds behind a bike costs you almost nothing.

• Ontario: at least 1 metre where practical.
• Quebec: 1 metre at 50 km/h or less, 1.5 metres above 50 km/h.
• Everywhere: more space at higher speeds, in wind and around children or groups.

Turns are the danger point

1. Before a right turn, check your mirror and right blind spot for a cyclist in a bike lane, on the sidewalk or on a trail.
2. Signal early and move into position only when it is clear.
3. Do not overtake a cyclist just before a right turn and then cut across them.
4. Before a left turn, wait for oncoming cyclists just as you would for oncoming cars.
5. Watch for cyclists in a bike box at the front of a signalled intersection.

Parked, but still responsible

Opening a car door into a cyclist's path, often called dooring, can cause serious injuries. Before you open the door, check your mirror and look over your shoulder. Many drivers learn to open the door with the hand furthest from it, which turns the body and makes the shoulder check natural.

Cities such as Montreal have extensive bike lanes and very busy cycling traffic, so expect cyclists on every street.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing past a cyclist in a narrow lane. Wait until you can leave the legal gap.
• Turning right across a bike lane without a blind spot check.
• Stopping inside a bike box at a red light.
• Opening the door without looking back first.
• Following too closely, forgetting that bikes have no brake lights.

Test yourself: Cyclists

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Driving in Montreal as a new driver