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Outside Magazine: Rules of the Road

By Bob Mionske

1. Traffic laws They apply when you're on your bike. The exception is Idaho, where cyclists can treat stop signs like yield signs.

2. iPods Most states allow cycling with music players. But just because it's legal doesn't mean it's smart.

3. Brakes Fixed-gear riders, listen up. Most states require brakes on bikes. And even if your state doesn't, insurance companies can use the absence of brakes to deny accident compensation.

4. Middle fingers The Supreme Court says it's not obscene, but some local laws might consider the gesture "fighting words." Our recommendation: Keep all ten fingers on the bars.

5. ID No state requires you to have a driver's license to ride a bike, but you will usually be required to produce some form of government-issued identification if you're stopped for a traffic violation. We recommend using your passport and riding in Italy as much as possible.

6. Public peeing The law treats this as if you were drunk outside a bar—you can get cited for it anywhere.

7. BUI Many states have strict laws against bicycling under the influence—Oregon, for instance, applies the same penalties for BUI as DUI. Seattle bar-hoppers get off easy, though: In Washington State, you cannot be arrested, no matter how drunk you are—although you can be taken into protective custody.

8. Helmets There's some form of helmet law in every state (for a complete list, visit the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute at helmets.org).

9. Visibility Most states require lights and reflectors in low-visibility conditions, though almost any light, no matter how dim, will suffice.

10. Insurance There are no comprehensive policies for cyclists available in the U.S. However, you can piece together solid coverage from your existing policies: homeowner's (theft), medical (injury), and auto (liability and injury).

A two-time Olympic cyclist, attorney Bob Mionske is the author of Bicycling & the Law.

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The Chicago Tribune: WALKING OFF THE ANGER

Rage between cars, bikes is a vicious wheel

By Kevin Williams and Editor Of The Tribunes On The Town Section
April 27, 2008

We’re mad as hell, and it’s all because of the wheel. Cyclists are dropping, and the whole bike-versus-car showdown has become a tinderbox. This should make any sane person slow down and think. Instead, it inspiresinvective. Just look at Internet message boards, like the Tribune’s, for proof:

“Those bikers had it coming. They don’t obey traffic laws,” says a motorist.

“SUV-driving pigs hog the road and waste resources as they try to kill me,”says a cyclist.

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BikePortland.org: Portland in the spotlight on the national stage

Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on March 5th, 2008 at 9:18 pm

This story is part of my ongoing coverage of the 2008 National Bike Summit. See the rest of my coverage here.

Roger Geller, Jerry Norquist, Scott Bricker, and
Veronica Rinard formed part of a dream team
of Portland bike advocates that filled in
for Commissioner Sam Adams at lunch today.
(Photos © J. Maus)

From the opening speech that was given by a former Portland City Commissioner (Earl Blumenauer) to the last event of the day which was headlined by a Portland-based lawyer (Bob Mionske) and just about everything in between, Portland was all over the National Bike Summit today. 

Today’s informational “breakout” sessions were also full of panels featuring Portland bike stars.

Among them was bike lawyer Bob Mionske. Mionske, who you might recall made headlines back in November for his claims of bias against cyclists in the Portland Police Bureau, was a panelist in a session titled, Promoting Cyclists’ Rights, Responsibilities, and Protection Under the Law. He was also the featured speaker at the League’s annual meeting which took place tonight.

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L.A. Streetsblog: The Vicious Cycle of Anti-Cyclist Bias

by Damien Newton on March 5, 2008

From the National Bike Summit:

At a panel on cyclist's rights, Bob Mionske, a Portland, Oregon attorney and founder of Bicycle Law, offered a cogent explanation of the obstacles cyclists face when it comes to public perception, police enforcement, and holding motorists accountable for injuring and killing cyclists. "Anti-cyclist bias is endemic in the police, the court system, and the media," he said, then described how bias in each arena reinforces bias in the others.

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BikePortland.org: Day 2 at the Summit: What’s on tap
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on March 4th, 2008 at 10:48 pm

This story is part of my ongoing coverage of the 2008 National Bike Summit. See the rest of my coverage here.

Tuesday night’s dinner crowd.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Ex-Portland City Commissioner and now U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer will open things up at the 2008 National Bike Summit tomorrow.

Blumenauer is slated to speak at the opening of tomorrow’s session with a talk billed, “Advancing America’s Journey to Embracing Cycling.” After that, the 500+ Summit attendees will break out into their choice of educational sessions.

There’s a wide variety to choose from including a session on cyclists’ legal rights featuring Portland lawyer and author Bob Mionske, and a session titled, Getting More People Riding: The Two-Mile Challenge, that features Dan Bower from the City of Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) and Scott Bricker from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).

Lawyer and author Bob Mionske,
will speak twice on Wednesday.

Other sessions are on the topics of Safe Routes to Schools, creating bicycle-friendly national parks, how bicyclists can play a role in the 2008 elections, and more.

After the sessions, each state will connect with their delegation to discuss Thursday’s big day on Capitol Hill. I’m looking forward to seeing the entire Oregon Team all in one place (group photo coming!).

The day will end with the League of American Bicyclists annual meeting. The featured speaker this year is none other than Portland-based lawyer, author of Bicycling and the Law, and former Olympian Bob Mionske.

Stay tuned for more coverage (along with some local news stories I’m getting behind on as well). 

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Turin Bicycle: Bob Mionske's Visit to Turin

When time was up for the Q&A portion of Bob Mionske’s February 28th book signing of Bicycling and the Law: Your Rights as a Cyclist at 8 PM, not many of the 30 or so in attendance were ready to leave. 

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RoadBikeRider.com: Reasons For Wrecks

Bob Mionske is a two-time U.S. Olympic cycling team member (4th in the 1988 road race) who now specializes in bicycle law in Portland, Oregon. He writes the "Legally Speaking" column for velonews.com, has a book called "Bicycling and the Law," and runs a website. In short, he's an expert on cyclists' rights and how laws affect them.

His legal work also makes Mionske, 45, savvy about crashes. According to his research, there are about 500,000 cycling accidents each year that result in an emergency room visit. Here's how they happen (numbers are rounded):

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The Oregonian, Rubber Side Down: Bicycle Law - 2

Posted by Peter LaPorte November 25, 2007 13:31PM

Portland attorney Bob Mionske's new book Bicylcing & The Law has received wide attention on the Internet. Deservedly so. He has written a researched and thorough analysis of laws applying to cyclists, from our fundamental rights through accidents (and accident avoidance) to liability waivers for group events.

This weekend, I was reminded that the risk of vehicular accidents are at the highest at intersections. It is there that decision - and indecision - by motorists and cyclists have the most consquence. In my particular case, I was entering an intersection on Cornelius Pass Road as a car which had just past me slowed and signaled a right turn. Seeing the turn signal, I slowed expecting the car to turn right across my path.

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Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: Pedal with the law on your side

By Tom Held
Nov. 9, 2007

Conflicts between motorists and cyclists date back more than 100 years, almost from the moment two-wheeled velocipedes and horseless carriages crossed paths on New York City streets.

The start of the often-tense relationship, in 1896, serves as a historical introduction to Bob Mionske's new book, "Bicycling & the Law," published by VeloPress.

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BikePortland.org: Another lawyer goes public with claim of cyclist bias at Police Bureau

Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on November 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm

Lawyer Bob Mionske

Portland-based lawyer Bob Mionske, a former Olympian who writes a monthly legal column for VeloNews Magazine, has added yet another voice of concern over what he sees as a bias against bicyclists at the Portland Police Bureau.

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