It’s a jungle out there. In the spirit of environmental consciousness our highways and byways are filled with bikes and scooters, E-bikes and motorized scooters, mopeds or skateboards, all in a state of frenetic locomotion. In my practice I have found these non-traditional vehicles, motorized or not, generate confusion concerning the rules that apply to them and how Illinois law treats a rider who is injured in accident.
The basic premise for anyone operating a vehicle on an Illinois roadway is they must follow the Rules of the Road—that means you: bikers, motor scooters, skateboarders, etc. So don’t think you can blow a stop sign at a 4-way intersection when a car gets there first. Yes, there is etiquette, for our non-traditional vehicles, a driver’s nod of recognition or a wave of the hand means she cedes the right of way to you. Notwithstanding this, you must always protect yourself by expecting to be treated like any other vehicle on the road even though you don’t have two tons of steel wrapped around you for protection.
All non-traditional vehicles must follow sidewalk rules. The general rule is, if its motorized, it is not allowed on the sidewalk. Think of your mom exiting the door of your local bakery and getting wiped out by a Boosted Board traveling at 20 miles per hour.
State law does not explicitly prohibit bikers from riding on sidewalks. Local ordinances dictate the rules. Some have age limits, others allow it in certain areas and prohibit it in others as dictated by signage. In all cases, when riding on the sidewalk, remember pedestrians have the right of way and the law protects them over riders. Of course, the proliferation of bike lanes has added a new wrinkle and pedestrians (and parked cars) must heed the markings specially dedicated to bikes.
With the invention of new and faster vehicles, i.e. Boosted Boards (motorized skateboard) and One-Wheels (motorized platform with a wheel), the definition of a vehicle and the rules that apply to it are more muddled. For instance, in the City of Chicago it is illegal to ride a skateboard on a roadway or sidewalk in a business district. Chicago Code, 9-80-200. The Illinois Vehicle Code defines a “business district” broadly where there is a roadway with buildings in use for business or industrial purposes within any 600 feet. Although the ordinance is not specific, this likely prohibits use of a motorized skateboard, or similar vehicle, on a street in a city business district. There goes your new ride to work!
Not following the rules that apply to you has consequences in the context of a claim or lawsuit following an accident. If you are considered more than 50% at fault, your recovery is barred. This means even if someone is found to have been 49% negligent when they struck you on your E-bike, you cannot recover any money. If you violate an ordinance or statute that is designed to protect human life or property, like the above skateboard example, that is presumptive evidence of your negligence, and potentially weakens your case. So for everyone’s sake, lose the earbuds, follow the Rules of the Road and sidewalks, protect yourself and watch out for others.
Attorney Laird M. Ozmon