Ohio has laws that protect cyclists.
Three-Foot Passing Law: Ohio’s statewide three-foot minimum safe distance passing requirement. Drivers of motor vehicles must allow at least three feet between their vehicle and a cyclist when passing. This law became effective March 21, 2017. 45 Ohio Rev. Code. § 4511.27(A)(1) (2018) Again, check your local ordinances for variations. For example—Cleveland has a six-foot passing ordinance for commercial trucks. Cleveland, Ohio, Municipal Code, Part Four-Traffic Code, Title Five-Vehicles, Chapter 431-Operation Generally, § 431.03(2)(b) (2019) One very important—and common—reason that we cyclists require a three feet or greater buffer between ourselves, and motor vehicles is that at times, we might need to ride farther to the left to avoid a hazard.
Dead Red Exception: Ohio’s “dead red” exception permits a cyclist at a red light to stop, then safely enter the intersection on “dead red” which occurs only when a red light malfunctions/doesn’t trip to green when failing to detect a bicycle’s presence (many intersections only detect motor vehicles). This law became effective March 21, 2017. 45 Ohio Rev. Code. § 4511.132(A)(1)(2)(3) (2018)
The cyclist must make sure it is safe to go, since the cyclist won’t have the right of way because the oncoming traffic light will still be green! This is not a law that allows cyclists to proceed through red lights unimpeded. Don’t become a “dead” red statistic by misinterpreting this law!
