Bicycling & the Law: Your Rights As a Cyclist
Encyclopedia
Bicycling & The Law, by Bob Mionske
, is a comprehensive primer on all facets of the law
as it pertains to the average cyclist. Published in 2007, Bicycling & the Law is the first book on bicycle law
written for the average cyclist since The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen
, published at the height of the bicycle's golden age in 1895. In The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen, cyclists were advised of their right to the road, which had been secured in a series of court cases and legislation
in the 1880s
and 1890s
. In Bicycling & The Law, cyclists are advised on their legal rights developed in the century since the publication of The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen, including their legal right to the road, extending back to those early cases. Cyclists are also advised on their legal rights and duties, as well as how to handle their own traffic ticket, common bicycle accidents, how to avoid them, and what to do if the cyclist is involved in an accident, how to insure themselves, legal responses to harassment of cyclists, lemon laws
and warranties, how to protect against bicycle theft
, and contractual issues cyclists commonly face.
Bob Mionske
Robert Charles Mionske is a two-time U.S. Olympic racing cyclist and U.S. National Champion . In the 1988 Summer Olympics, held in Seoul, South Korea, he placed fourth in the Individual Road Race. He retired from professional cycling in 1993 and is now an attorney based in Portland, Oregon,...
, is a comprehensive primer on all facets of the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
as it pertains to the average cyclist. Published in 2007, Bicycling & the Law is the first book on bicycle law
Bicycle law
Bicycle law is a specialized field of law relating to the use of bicycles. Although bicycle law is a relatively new specialty within the law, first appearing in the late 1980s, its roots date back to the 1880s and 1890s, when cyclists were using the courts to assert a legal right to use the roads....
written for the average cyclist since The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen
The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen
The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen, written by George B. Clementson at the height of the bicycle's golden age, in 1895, was the first treatise on bicycle law. In the 1880s and 1890s, the prevailing legal issue cyclists faced was the question of the right to the road...
, published at the height of the bicycle's golden age in 1895. In The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen, cyclists were advised of their right to the road, which had been secured in a series of court cases and legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
in the 1880s
1880s
The 1880s was the decade that spanned from January 1, 1880 to December 31, 1889. They occurred at the core period of the Second Industrial Revolution. Most Western countries experienced a large economic boom, due to the mass production of railroads and other more convenient methods of travel...
and 1890s
1890s
The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the "Mauve Decade" - because William Henry Perkin's aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion - and also as the "Gay Nineties", under the then-current usage of the word "gay" which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...
. In Bicycling & The Law, cyclists are advised on their legal rights developed in the century since the publication of The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen, including their legal right to the road, extending back to those early cases. Cyclists are also advised on their legal rights and duties, as well as how to handle their own traffic ticket, common bicycle accidents, how to avoid them, and what to do if the cyclist is involved in an accident, how to insure themselves, legal responses to harassment of cyclists, lemon laws
Lemon Laws
Lemon laws are American state laws that provide a remedy for purchasers of cars in order to compensate for cars that repeatedly fail to meet standards of quality and performance. These vehicles are called lemons. The federal lemon law protects citizens of all states. State lemon laws vary by state...
and warranties, how to protect against bicycle theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
, and contractual issues cyclists commonly face.