Laws for Cycling Safety: Tulsa Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Ylla|Gosney Attorneys at Law is an advocate for all Tulsa bicyclists. We represent cycling accident victims of all ages and make sure they receive support to pay for the best medical care available after a scary collision. We want to see all injured riders make a full recovery and get back on their bikes again. Our skilled Tulsa attorneys provide free case consultations to all victims. Contact us today to find out what your case is worth.

Do I Need a Lawyer After a Bicycle Accident?

If your cycling accident is caused by a careless driver and leaves you with a serious injury, you could probably benefit from having a lawyer handle your case.

Car insurance companies would rather not take financial responsibility for a major injury, like a broken bone, or head trauma. They can rely on tactics like trying to transfer blame to the cyclist or downplaying the severity of an injury. This doubt sometimes allows them to get away with providing an inadequate settlement check to victims or no settlement at all.

Your lawyer would investigate your case and the driver involved. The evidence uncovered would be used to hold an insurer fully responsible. Your lawyer then fights, through aggressive negotiation, to maximize the support you receive for your physical and financial recovery.

Bicycling Dangers on Tulsa Streets

Oklahoma laws grant Tulsa cyclists the same right to use local lanes as any motorist. Unfortunately, reckless drivers aren’t always looking out for the safety of others. They can try to pass bicyclists when there isn’t enough room and send a rider off a bike. They can travel too fast through Tulsa’s residential neighborhoods and miss spotting a small child on a bike, and cause a devastating accident.

Riders on busy Tulsa routes like Mingo Road enjoy some stretches of bike lanes, but even those precautions aren’t enough to prevent all encounters with careless motorists.

Cyclists forced to travel alongside cars will probably see motorists switching lanes to make a right turn without checking mirrors and blind spots to see if a bicyclist is nearby. A distracted driver may not see the smaller profile of an oncoming rider as they make a rushed left turn.

Tulsa Bicycle Accident Statistics

2 News Oklahoma reported that 34 people were tragically killed in traffic accidents in Tulsa in 2023. Nine of those victims were pedestrians or cyclists. Ylla|Gosney’s study on Tulsa bicycle accidents found that over a recent five-year period (2017-2021), Tulsa recorded an average of 63 bicycle collisions a year.

Any impact can leave a cyclist with thousands of dollars in medical bills and spending a lengthy time in physical therapy. A skilled Tulsa Bicycle Accident Lawyer fully investigates the circumstances of each cycling accident and the drivers involved. Then, the evidence is used to force car insurance companies to support victims as long as necessary. They must provide for every need until a cyclist is able to get back on a bike again.

Cyclists Rights in Oklahoma

Types of Bike Lanes in Tulsa

Tulsa has installed several types of bike paths to keep cyclists safe. Some bike lanes offer more security to riders than others.

Standard Bike Lanes: The most common bike lane is marked off the right side of the lane with white lines. Green lane markings are sometimes used as bike lanes approach an intersection. These lanes often range from 4 feet to 6 feet wide. Wider is safer, of course. These are welcome options for cyclists, but they still only offer a thin white line to separate bicyclists from the rush of traffic. Drivers can still easily veer over into a bike lane and become a hazard for vulnerable riders.

Buffered Bike Lanes: These lanes provide a bit more room than conventional bike lanes. They are still marked off by white paint, but there’s an added buffer zone, usually diagonal white lines, that puts more space between cyclists and fast-moving cars and trucks. An example in Tulsa can be found on 3^rd Street at Main Street. (Pictured here)

Protected Bike Lanes: These separated bike lanes offer more protection than the conventional bike lane. Some paths are separated from cars by plastic pylons or parked cars. The bike lanes protected by parked cars along Detroit Avenue near Reconciliation Way are a good example. (Pictured here)

Shared Routes: Shared routes aren’t really bike lanes. They are streets where drivers and cyclists are expected to share the lanes. Bike route signs and lane markings called “Sharrows” (share+arrows, a bike symbol with two arrows above) are placed along the route to help drivers stay focused on safely sharing.

Sharrows are often used in areas where there isn’t room for real bike lanes. They are also used on streets where traffic speeds are generally lower. There may also be more speed deterrents in place. Basically, shared routes are just normal streets, only there are more reminders to drivers that they must share the lanes. An example of a shared route is on 3^rd Street near Greenwood Avenue. (pictured below)

Multi-Use Trails and Bike Paths: These are routes mostly away from vehicle traffic. They include greenways, bike trails, and other paths. Cyclists on multi-use trails must share the paths with pedestrians. The 918 trail system throughout Tulsa includes many of these paths. The River Parks East Bank Trail (pictured here) is one trail that local cyclists and dog walkers take advantage of.

Bicycle Laws in Oklahoma

The law that grants cyclists their most important right can be found in Oklahoma’s vehicle statutes. It confirms the rider’s legal ownership of the lanes on local streets and highways. It’s the same right to use the road as drivers have. This empowerment also means that riders will need to follow every traffic law that motorists must follow in most cases.

Oklahoma Vehicle Code §47-11-1202:

“Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles or motorized scooters. Every person riding a bicycle or motorized scooter 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 title, except as to special regulations in this article and except to those provisions of this title which by their nature can have no application.”

Riders can take a full lane at any time they feel there’s not enough room for themselves and a vehicle.
Riders can ride on the road if they can keep up with the speed of traffic, even if a bike lane is provided.
However, when possible, cyclists using the road should ride as far to the right of the lane as possible. They should use the right shoulder if there’s room, to allow cars to pass.

OS§47-11-1205 RIDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RIGHT LANE AND RIDING ON THE SHOULDER

OS§47-11-1208. DRIVERS SWITCHING LANES TO PASS CYCLIST, PASSING WITH 3 FT OF SPACE

OS47-11-1111 DRIVERS WHO THROW OBJECTS AT CYCLISTS CAN FACE FELONY CHARGES

The Oklahoma Driver Manual states that riders can pass through a stop sign intersection without stopping. However, they must slow down at least and stop if there’s potential danger. They must also yield to pedestrians and other traffic if others are present. Cyclists do have to stop for red lights.

You can see additional bicycle laws on our Cyclists’ Rights page.

Link:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zoF_aR39Y9gBwXRd2P1Ooy0kGa3LdfjP/view?usp=sharing

Title: 11th Memorial Tulsa bike way

(Pictured: A faded bike lane along U.S. Bicycle Rte 66/11^th Street near Memorial Drive)

Tulsa Bicycle Laws

Tulsa enforces Oklahoma traffic codes. The city has also passed some unique bicycle laws. Some of these laws restrict where a bicyclist may ride.

Oklahoma statutes don’t generally forbid cyclists from riding on sidewalks. However, Tulsa traffic codes include a list of sidewalks they shouldn’t use.

Tulsa Revised Traffic Code Chapter 10.-Bicycles Section 1009. – Restrictions of certain vehicular traffic in certain areas.

No person shall operate a bicycle, rickshaw or motorized scooter upon a sidewalk within the following areas of the City of Tulsa:
The Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL);
Sidewalks adjacent and parallel to South Peoria Avenue, from East 33rdStreet to East 36thStreet; and
Sidewalks adjacent and parallel to East 15thStreet, from South Peoria Avenue to South Utica Avenue.

Watch for signs indicating other roads cyclists shouldn’t use. The traffic code gives Tulsa’s Director of Streets and Stormwater the power to place other signs indicating roads and sidewalks that are off-limits to riders.

Section 1012. – Parking zones. Motorists must avoid parking in spaces designated only for bicycles, rickshaws, and motorized scooters.

(Pictured: A bike lane sign along Reconciliation Street in Tulsa)

Tulsa Biking and Pedestrian Safety Initiatives

Tulsa’s City Government and local bicycle advocates continue to work to improve the cycling infrastructure across Tulsa County.

The GO Plan! is the name for Tulsa’s Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan. It’s been an evolving blueprint for over a decade now. The effort has led to the installation of many miles of bike lanes and is the reason many intersections have been upgraded and made safer.

Efforts to reduce dangers for those on foot and on bikes continue to this day. The Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG) is helping guide its direction and focus. Public input is ongoing in 2025. New9-TV reports that INCOG continues to hold public meetings to determine the transportation needs in communities across Tulsa County, including Jenks and Broken Arrow.

Common Cycling Injuries

Cyclists travel defenseless. They may have a helmet on and some thin clothing, but otherwise there’s no buffer between a fragile human body and the metal of a car or truck. Victims often suffer major injuries like fractured arms and legs, facial injuries, and chest injuries. They may receive permanent facial disfigurement if they land face first.

They might also be rushed to the emergency room with head trauma, including a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). A TBI might include a severe concussion. Victims may suddenly be sensitive to light and nauseous. In severe cases, victims can lose memories and find they can’t control bodily functions.

A lawyer with Ylla|Gosney would be fighting to get a bicycle accident victim’s current medical bills paid by a car insurance company. It’s also critical to make sure victims secure the compensation they need to pay for care that could be needed in the years to come. That could include physical therapy and additional surgeries.

Compensation Available for Tulsa Bicycle Accident Victims

Bicycle collision victims must make sure they receive compensation for each and every hardship they face in recovery. And that should be support for as long as recovery takes. Whether that’s a week, a month, or years. In some cases, victims are never able to return to the rides they love, and any bicycle accident settlement offer must take this into consideration.

Your lawyer ensures that a car insurance company can’t ignore any of the damages a careless driver caused. Your attorney will be asking for compensation for these and other factors:

Compensation for all medical bills and physical therapy costs and estimates on care that could be necessary in the years ahead.
Long-term compensation for victims who suffer permanent physical disabilities or disfigurements.
Support for the physical pain victims are forced to endure.
Support for the emotional trauma victims are forced to cope with. This might include a loss of enjoyment of life if badly injured riders can’t get back on their bikes again.
Money to pay for transportation costs to get to doctor’s appointments and to see out-of-state specialists.
Compensation for the lost income victims suffer while out of work.
Money to replace a bike and other property that’s been damaged.
In the case of wrongful death, money so that families can pay for a funeral and pay off remaining medical bills. Close relatives should also get help in replacing the income the deceased can no longer provide the family. The

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long can I wait to file a bicycle accident claim?

Two years. Tulsa bicycle accident victims have up to two years to file injury claims. Victims shouldn’t wait years though. They should allow lawyers the chance to collect fresh evidence before it disappears.

What if my child is riding a bike and is struck by a Tulsa driver?

Children can require additional support after a major bicycling accident injury. A skilled lawyer would seek support to protect the child’s future. A childhood injury can flare up years in the future during teen growth spurts. Old injuries can cause issues with bone and tissue development. Additional surgery and physical therapy may be needed to ensure a teenager’s body can develop normally.

Can I ask for compensation after an accident if I wasn’t wearing a bicycle helmet?

Contact a Tulsa Bicycle Accident Attorney

We have an extensive background in safeguarding bicycle accident victims. At Ylla | Gosney Attorneys At Law, we want safe bicycle rides for every rider. We also want to fully safeguard victims if they are forced into a serious accident by a dangerous driver. We offer a free, no-obligation case review with a real Tulsa Bicycle Accident Lawyer.

There’s no pressure to file a lawsuit suit or even use our services if you decide to file. We just want to inform you of everything you need to know before you decide.

Keep in mind that you won’t need any upfront money if you do need our services. We don’t accept payment unless we win your bicycle accident injury case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you receive. We also adjust our fees to make sure you keep what you need to rebuild your life and return to the bike rides you love.