Most people feel that roads are just for cars. That's not true. In every state of the union, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as drivers of vehicles (UVC 11-1202).
Where it gets complicated is that in most states, bicyclists are also required to ride as far right as practicable in order to facilitate passing by faster traffic (UVC 11-1205). So a bicyclist is not required to ride far right if that would compromise his/her safety. In particular, a bicyclist is entitled to a full lane if riding far right would be less safe.
Bicyclists who ride at the edge of narrow lanes are often passed unsafely by motorists. Such bicyclists often feel that more separation would be safer, when instead all they have to do is to use the full lane so that motorists must change lanes to pass.
Like bicycles, motorcycles are narrower than most vehicles. Many states explicitly give motorcyclists the right to use a full lane (UVC 11-1303). But bicyclists need to justify their use of a full lane. What's up with that?
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