Kansas Cyclist - Kansas Bicycle Guide and Reference

Kansas Cycling Laws and Statutes

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) maintains the Kansas Bicycle Guide, which contains some basic information about cycling in the state of Kansas. The following is a summary of the resources they provide:

Kansas Bicycling Statutes

The Kansas Legislature web site offers the complete text (see Chapter 8: Automobiles and Other Vehicles), but the following are relevant excerpts:

8-1405. "Bicycle" defined.

"Bicycle" means every device propelled by human power upon which any person may ride, having two (2) tandem wheels, either of which is more than fourteen (14) inches in diameter.

8-1586. Unlawful acts; application of regulations.

(c) The provisions of K.S.A. 8-1587 to 8-1592, inclusive, which are applicable to bicycles shall apply whenever a bicycle is operated upon any highway or upon any path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles, subject to those exceptions stated herein.

8-1587. Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles.

Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this act, except as otherwise provided in K.S.A. 8-1586 to 8-1592, inclusive, and except as to those provisions of this act which by their nature can have no application.

8-1588. Riding on bicycles.

(a) A person propelling a bicycle shall not ride other than upon or astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto.

(b) No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.

8-1589. Same; clinging to other vehicles prohibited.

No person riding upon any bicycle, coaster, roller skates, sled or toy vehicle shall attach the same, himself or herself to any vehicle upon a roadway.

8-1590. Riding on bicycles or mopeds; riding on roadways and bicycle paths.

(a) Every person operating a bicycle or a moped upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, except under any of the following situations when: (1) Overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction; (2) preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; or (3) reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving bicycles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or narrow width lanes that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand edge of the roadway.

(b) Any person operating a bicycle or a moped upon a one-way highway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near to the left side of the roadway as practicable.

(c) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast, except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

(d) Wherever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.

(e) For purposes of this section, "narrow width lane" means a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side-by-side within the lane.

8-1591. Same; carrying articles.

No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which prevents the driver from keeping at least one (1) hand upon the handlebars.

8-1592. Lamps, brakes and other equipment on bicycles.

(a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500) feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the secretary of transportation which shall be visible from all distances from one hundred (100) feet to six hundred (600) feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.

(b) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

(c) No person shall sell a pedal for use on a bicycle, unless such pedal is equipped with a reflector of a type approved by the secretary of transportation which is visible from the front and rear of the bicycle to which it is attached during darkness from a distance of two hundred (200) feet, and no person shall sell a new bicycle, unless it is equipped with pedals meeting the requirements of this subsection.

8-1592a. Application of 8-1586 to 8-1592 to motorized bicycles.

The provisions of K.S.A. 8-1586 to 8-1592, inclusive, shall be applicable to motorized bicycles, and every person operating a motorized bicycle shall be subject to the provisions thereof.

8-1592b. Electric-assisted bicycles; traffic law application; no registration or driver's license required.

Vehicle registration and driver's license shall not be required for operation of an electric-assisted bicycle. Traffic regulations applicable to bicycles shall apply to electric-assisted bicycles, except tricycles with no brake horsepower.

Other Related Statutes and Definitions

8-1407. "Business district" defined.

"Business district" means the territory contiguous to and including a highway when within any six hundred (600) feet along such highway there are buildings in use for business or industrial purposes, including but not limited to hotels, banks or office buildings, railroad stations and public buildings which occupy at least three hundred (300) feet of frontage on one side or three hundred (300) feet collectively on both sides of the highway.

8-1411. "Crosswalk" defined.

(a) That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway; or

(b) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.

8-1416. "Driver" defined.

"Driver" means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.

8-1424. "Highway" defined.

"Highway" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.

8-1437. "Motor vehicle" defined.

"Motor vehicle" means every vehicle, other than a motorized bicycle or a motorized wheelchair, which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails.

8-1439a. "Motorized bicycle" defined.

"Motorized bicycle" means every device having two tandem wheels or three wheels which may be propelled by either human power or helper motor, or by both, and which has:

(a) A motor which produces not more than 3.5 brake horsepower;

(b) a cylinder capacity of not more than 130 cubic centimeters;

(c) an automatic transmission; and

(d) the capability of a maximum design speed of no more than 30 miles per hour except a low power cycle.

8-1446. "Pedestrian" defined.

(a) Any person afoot;

(b) any person in a wheelchair, either manually or mechanically propelled, or other low powered, mechanically propelled vehicle designed specifically for use by a physically disabled person; or

(c) any person using an electric personal assistive mobility device.

8-1459. "Roadway" defined.

"Roadway" means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. In the event a highway includes two (2) or more separate roadways the term "roadway" as used herein shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively.

8-1465. "Sidewalk" defined.

"Sidewalk" means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for use by pedestrians.

8-1471. "Stop" when required, defined.

"Stop" when required means complete cessation from movement.

8-1473. "Street" defined.

"Street" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular traffic.

8-1477. "Traffic" defined.

"Traffic" means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highway for purposes of travel.

8-1485. "Vehicle" defined.

"Vehicle" means every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except electric personal assistive mobility devices or devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

8-1489. "Electric-assisted bicycle" defined.

"Electric-assisted bicycle" means a bicycle with two or three wheels, a saddle, fully operative pedals for human propulsion, and an electric motor. The electric-assisted bicycle's electric motor must have a power output of no more than 1,000 watts, be incapable of propelling the device at a speed of more than 20 miles per hour on level ground and incapable of further increasing the speed of the device when human power alone is used to propel the device beyond 20 miles per hour.

8-1520. No-passing zones; duties of drivers.

Where signs or markings are in place to define a no-passing zone, no driver at any time shall drive on the left side of the roadway within such no-passing zone or on the left side of any pavement striping designed to mark such no-passing zone throughout its length.

8-1540. Pedestrians' right-of-way on sidewalks.

The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian on a sidewalk.

8-1550. Methods of giving notice of intention to turn; hand and arm signals.

All signals herein required given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side of the vehicle in the following manner and such signals shall indicate as follows:

(a) Left turn. Hand and arm extended horizontally.

(b) Right turn. Hand and arm extended upward.

(c) Stop or decrease speed. Hand and arm extended downward.

Note: KDOT's Bicycle Safety Guide also shows that a right turn can be signalled with the right arm extended horizontally. (Image courtesy of KDOT)