Car driver’s beware: California State law does not require bicycle riders to ride in the same direction as traffic.

          In the recent California Appellate Court case of Micheal Spriesterbach v. Janice Holland, the Appellate Court held that there is no California State law that requires people riding bicycles to ride in the same direction as traffic. But, if the county or city laws require it, then the bicycle rider has to ride in the same direction as traffic.

          So, whether or not a bicycle rider is at fault, if they are riding against traffic and get hurt, will depend on the county laws where the accident happened, and the city ordinances, if any, concerning bicycle riders. In one case our firm had that involved  a bicycle rider hit by a car, our investigation required us to go to city hall and pull out the zoning and any variances for that particular street where the accident happened because the county and city laws were not clear and the city was rezoning certain neighborhoods near where the accident happened.