New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws for Bicycles & Pedestrians

Includes: Helmets required • Sharing the road • Riding Single File • E-Bikes • Walking

Bicycle helmets are required for all cyclists regardless of age in Rockland County

All cyclists, regardless of their age, must wear a bike helmet in Rockland County, NY. (Source: Rockland County, NY code ).

Rockland is one of two counties in the New York State that require adults to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle.

What this means: Bicycle helmets, like seat belts in cars, might seem like optional equipment…until you need them.

  • In New York State in 2022, there were 7,523 bicycle crashes and 50 fatalities. In more than half of these crashes, the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet. Twenty-eight of those bicyclists who were killed were not wearing proper headgear. (Source:  Bicycle and Wheel Sport Safety  at TrafficSafety.NY.gov)
  • In Rockland County, 9 out of 10 of the 2022 reported bicycle crashes included a personal injury. (Source: Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research ITSMR.org, 2022 Rockland County Bike Crash Summary)

Just having a helmet won’t protect you: it needs to be fitted correctly on your head! Here are some tips about how to choose and fit bicycle helmets from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

When Cars and Bicycles Need to Share a Single Lane

NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law 1122-a. Overtaking a bicycle (NYS Safe Passing Law). The operator of a vehicle overtaking, from behind, a bicycle proceeding on the same side of a roadway shall pass to the left of such bicycle at a safe distance until safely clear thereof. (Source: Overtaking a bicycle, NYSenate.gov Vehicle & Traffic CHAPTER 71, TITLE 7, ARTICLE 25)

What this means:  On many two lane roads where the street is narrow or there are cars parked on the right, there’s insufficient space for motor vehicles and cyclists to share a single lane. In that case, cars should wait until there is space and time to move to the left and pass the bicyclist. This may require passing motor vehicles to briefly cross into the opposing lane of traffic.

When there is 10 feet or less of lane width to share, bicyclists are permitted to "take the lane" by positioning themselves at or near the center of the lane. This enables them to be seen by overtaking vehicles and gives the message that the overtaking vehicle must move left to pass when it is safe to do so. Other instances when a people riding bicycles can take the lane include “take the lane” roads that don’t have a shoulder or where there are obstructions on the right. (Source: Bicycling in New York, NYS Dept of Transportation DOT.NY.gov)

Safe passing is generally interpreted in most states as requiring at least three or four feet when passing non-motorized slower traffic. As of September 2022, 35 states required motor vehicles to give three or more feet of space when passing a cyclist.

Dooring: NYS Law asks cyclists to ride as far to the right as practicable, but cyclists still need to be vigilant about parked cars where passengers may be opening doors to exit without looking to see if there is two or four wheeled traffic approaching. Bicycle riders should be at least three feet to the left of parked cars to avoid being hit by driver side doors.

Riding a bicycle – single file or side by side?

Although there are different laws in different jurisdictions, safety, street civility and road width should guide how we drive, bicycle, or walk when cars, bikes and pedestrians share the road.

  • Orangetown Local Law 39-13.6: Notwithstanding the provisions of Subdivision (b) of § 1234 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York, persons riding bicycles … upon any public street within the Town of Orangetown shall not ride more than one abreast. (Source: Orangetown Code)

What this means: If you are riding a bicycle in New York State, you need to ride single file when you are being passed by another vehicle. You can ride two abreast at any other time EXCEPT if you are riding in Orangetown (Blauvelt, Nyack, Orangeburg, Pearl River, Piermont, Sparkill, Tappan).

Class I and II E-Bikes in New York State

NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law 102-c. Bicycle with electric assist: A bicycle which is no more than 36 inches wide and has an electric motor of less than 750 watts, equipped with operable pedals, meeting the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission under 16 C.F.R. Part 1512.1 et seq. and meeting the requirements of one of the following three classes:

(a) "Class one bicycle with electric assist." A bicycle with electric assist having an electric motor that provides assistance only when the person operating such bicycle is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when such bicycle reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour.

(b) "Class two bicycle with electric assist." A bicycle with electric assist having an electric motor that may be used exclusively to propel such bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when such bicycle reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour. (Source: Bicycle with electric assist, NYSenate.gov Vehicle & Traffic, CHAPTER 71, TITLE 1, ARTICLE 1)

What this means: Pedal assisted (Class I, where the electric motor only operates when you pedal) or throttle (Class II) E-Bikes are legal as long as their motor doesn’t exceed 20 mph. These E-Bikes aren’t allowed on sidewalks and are restricted to roads with a maximum speed of 30 mph. (Source: Electric scooters and bicycles and other unregistered vehicle, DMV.NY.gov )

Note that New York City has different rules governing the use of E-Bikes.

NYS Vehicle & Traffic Pedestrian Rights and Rules

Motor vehicles, bicycles, and other micro-mobility vehicles must yield to walkers and runners. But pedestrians have a few rules they must follow, too.

  • When crossing a sidewalk or a crosswalk, drivers must yield to walkers and joggers. (§ 1151-a)

  • When pedestrians cross on a street without a crosswalk, they must yield to traffic on the street. (§ 1152)

  • Pedestrians must use sidewalks on streets where they have been provided. On roads without sidewalks, pedestrians should walk or jog against the flow of traffic as far to the LEFT of the street as practicable. (§ 1156)

§ 1150. Pedestrians shall be subject to traffic-control signals as provided in Section 1111, but at all other places pedestrians shall be accorded the privileges and shall be subject to the restrictions stated [by law].

§ 1151. Pedestrians’ right of way in crosswalks. (a) When traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk on the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling except that any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overpass has been provided shall yield the right of way to all vehicles. (b) No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impractical for the driver to yield. (c) Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.

§ 1151-a. Pedestrians’ right of way on sidewalks. The driver of a vehicle emerging from or entering an alleyway, building, private road or driveway shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian approaching on any sidewalk extending across such alleyway, building entrance, road or driveway.

§ 1152. Crossing at other than crosswalks. (a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway. (b) Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway. (c) No pedestrian shall cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by official traffic-control devices; and, when authorized to cross diagonally, pedestrians shall cross only in accordance with the official traffic-control devices pertaining to such crossing movements.

§ 1156. Pedestrians on roadways. (a) Where sidewalks are provided and they may be used with safety it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along and upon an adjacent roadway. (b) Where sidewalks are not provided any pedestrian walking along and upon a highway shall when practicable walk only on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic which may approach from the opposite direction. Upon the approach of any vehicle from the opposite direction, such pedestrian shall move as far to the left as is practicable.

Source: Law Enforcement Quick Reference Guide: Pedestrian V & T Law, NYS Department of Health

Are there places I can walk or ride in Rockland County where there are fewer cars and multi-use paved paths?

Yes! Visit ExploreRocklandNY.com for a list of rail trails and rural roads popular with cyclists, including Orangetown’s Clarke and Esposito Trails, Clarkstown’s Nyack Beach Hudson River Greenway, Stony Point’s Jones Point Path, Ramapo’s Harriman State Park and the Mario Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge Path across the Hudson River.