My friend Ann has just arrived in Paris to study at the Sorbonne University. She's renting an apartment for a few weeks in the Latin Quarter, in the center of Paris. As an avid cyclist in New York, she decided to get around by bike in Paris. "It's exhilarating to get around Paris by bike at street level. It's an amazing experience and I encourage anyone who enjoys cycling to do the same, but to follow these safety tips...
On a bike, you're the driver of a fully-fledged vehicle, and as such, you have to respect the highway code. It's a question of safety - for you and for other road users.
It is forbidden to
- go through a red light (an offence responsible for 50 cyclist accidents in Paris in 2014)
- ride on sidewalks
- hold a cell phone in your hand when riding a bike
- Being towed by another vehicle or riding with two people when the bike is not equipped for this.
- Riding against the flow of traffic on one-way streets, unless there are specific signs or markings.
- Don't hang your bike on street furniture unless it is specially designed for the purpose.
- Don't forget the most vulnerable pedestrians (children, the elderly and the disabled) when parking your bike!
Safety tips
- Respect the right of way when crossing intersections.
- Give way to pedestrians when crossing the road.
- Wave when changing direction.
- Watch out for doors of parked vehicles that may open suddenly (cause of 103 personal injury accidents in Paris in 2014).
- Watch out for pedestrians stepping out between parked vehicles.
- Be visible at night! Have front and rear lights, reflectors and wear light-colored or reflective clothing.
- Never overtake a truck or bus on the right.
- Never overtake a truck when it is manoeuvring
Special roads and signs for cyclists
- Cycle lane: a road reserved exclusively for bicycles. If it is a two-way road, you must use the right-hand lane (Art R. 431-9).
- Cycle lane: a one-way lane on a multi-lane road reserved exclusively for bicycles.
- Bicycle boxes: these boxes (two stop lines set back from the crosswalk at intersections with traffic lights) were created to enable cyclists to be in the leading position to cross the intersection or to be on the left to turn. In Paris, only cyclists are allowed to cross these "bike boxes" when the traffic light is red.
- It is forbidden to ride on sidewalks, which are reserved for pedestrians.
You must not ride on pavements, which are reserved for pedestrians .
Copyright photo: Michelle Williams for Louis Vuitton.
