For the month of July, Santa Monica police will crack down on bicyclists who fail to follow the rules of the road.

It is part of the Santa Monica Police Department’s monthly rotation that focuses on different driving behaviors that are primary causation for traffic collisions.

SMPD Lt. Jay Moroso said the Traffic Enforcement Unit will focus on bicyclists failing to follow the rules of the road.

The California Vehicle Code – Section 21200 laws applicable to bicycles states:

A person riding a bicycle or operating a pedicab upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle.

A majority of the collisions involving bicyclists have been determined that the other party was at fault. When a bicyclist has been at fault, the common causations have ranged from failure to stop at a traffic signal to unsafe speed.

Meanwhile, the City of Santa Monica Municipal Code – 3.12.540 – Bicycle Riding or Coasting Restricted says:

(a) It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle or to coast in any vehicle upon any public sidewalk, except as provided for in Section 3.12.550. It shall be unlawful to ride a bicycle or to coast in any vehicle in any public parking structure.