Earlier this week, we discussed the conflict between bicyclists and drivers, and the local spokesman for the CHP said he tentatively was interpreting the state vehicle code to mean cyclists could ride two abreast or more as long as they didn’t impede traffic. But he was checking with Sacramento CHP officials for the official word.

That ruling has been issued by the Vehicle Code Unit at the CHP Academy, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.

“Riders do not have to ride single file in CA, as long as they are going with the flow of traffic,” he said in a statement. “If traffic traveling in the same direction (a car) approaches them, then they must move as far to the right as practicable. So, even if it is only one car that comes up behind them, if there is a rider that is alongside another, and in the traffic lane, they must pull in behind or ahead of the other rider. If they can safely ride abreast in a marked bike lane, they would not have to do this.

“So, the only time a cyclist would get a citation is if an officer observed them riding two or more abreast and there was a car/cars behind them being impeded.”

CLICK here to read earlier story on bicyclists and drivers.