Skip to content Almost every bike-versus-car claim in Glendale becomes an argument about the rider: you weren’t in the bike lane, you had no lights. Arizona statute answers most of that more favorably than riders expect, and a Glendale bicycle accident lawyer’s job is getting those provisions on the record early.
Ordinary right-of-way rules decide it, because Arizona treats you as a driver. Under A.R.S. § 28-812, a person riding a bicycle on a roadway or adjoining shoulder has all the rights and duties that apply to the driver of a vehicle. A motorist who fails to yield commits the same violation they would have if you were in a car. Two collision types dominate:
The right hook a driver overtakes you, then turns right across your path. ADOT guidance is explicit that drivers must yield to bicyclists approaching right-turn-only and drop lanes.
The left cross an oncoming driver turns left across your line of travel. A.R.S. § 28-772 requires a left-turning driver to yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be an immediate hazard.
Expect “I never saw the bike” an admission more than a defense.
Yes, Arizona does not require you to use a bike lane at all. It is the most commonly misstated point in cyclist claims.
A.R.S. § 28-815 requires riding as close as practicable to the right-hand curb, but only when riding at less than the normal speed of traffic. At traffic speed the duty does not apply. Even when it does, four exceptions follow:
Overtaking or passing another bicycle or vehicle going the same direction
Preparing for a left turn at an intersection, private road, or driveway
Avoiding conditions objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, or surface hazards
The lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side
The statute runs the other way too: a bike lane is for the exclusive use of bicycles, and a driver may not operate, stop, park, or leave a vehicle standing in one recurring spot where delivery and rideshare vehicles stage curbside and force riders into traffic.
As for crosswalks, § 28-815 governs the roadway, so it does not control a rider on a sidewalk. Arizona has no statewide prohibition on sidewalk riding and local ordinances vary, though under A.R.S. § 28-792 a cyclist must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
Three more provisions recur. A.R.S. § 28-735 requires a driver overtaking a bicycle to leave not less than three feet until safely past, with penalties that rise where the violation causes serious injury or death. A.R.S. § 28-815(B) permits riding two abreast, and § 28-756 requires hand signals before turning.
Yes their bodily injury liability coverage responds whether you were in a car or on a bike.
A.R.S. § 28-4009 sets Arizona’s minimums at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident; one surgery can exhaust that.
If the driver was a minor, the analysis does not stop at their policy. A.R.S. § 28-3160 imputes a minor’s negligence to the parent who signed their license application, making that person jointly and severally liable a second source of recovery most riders never think to look for.
Your own auto policy may also cover you while cycling. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage generally follows the person rather than the vehicle, so a rider struck by an uninsured driver or by one who leaves the scene may have a claim under their own policy, and sometimes a resident family member’s. Insurers must offer it under A.R.S. § 20-259.01, though buying it is optional, which is why a Glendale uninsured motorist claim starts with your declarations page.
No helmet, but the lighting rule is stricter than riders think. Arizona has no statewide helmet requirement at any age. Some municipalities require them under 18 a local ordinance question. Riding without one violates no state law and cannot make a driver less at fault.
A.R.S. § 28-817 is where riders get caught. A bicycle used at night must have a white front lamp visible at least 500 feet and a department-approved red rear reflector visible from 50 to 300 feet. A rear lamp is permitted in addition to the reflector, not as a substitute so a blinking taillight with no reflector may not satisfy the statute. The section also requires a brake capable of skidding the braked wheels. Equipment is the first thing an insurer raises in a night crash, so if your bike complied, photograph it.
The Grand Avenue / US-60 diagonal is Glendale’s distinctive hazard, cutting across the grid at oblique angles with a rail line alongside offset multi-leg intersections, odd sightlines, and rail crossings taken at shallow angles, a classic bike hazard since a tire crossing a flangeway at a low angle can deflect or drop in.
Arterial volume on Bell Road, 59th, 67th, and Glendale Avenue produces most right-hook and left-cross conflicts. Historic Downtown Glendale‘s narrow streets and angled parking create door-zone conflicts, and ASU West commuter flow puts student riders on the corridor. Event surges at State Farm Stadium and Westgate add congestion and crashes caused by impaired drivers after dark. Glendale PD works city streets; DPS works Loop 101 and state routes like Grand Avenue.
Court and deadlines. Glendale City Court hears no civil injury suits; claims above $10,000 go to Maricopa County Superior Court, smaller matters to a justice court. The filing deadline is generally two years under A.R.S. § 12-542, but a claim against a public entity a roadway defect, a city vehicle requires notice within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, then one year to file. Whatever you recover is then reduced by your own share of the fault under A.R.S. § 12-2505.
Jason A. Harris has practiced personal injury and workers’ compensation law in Arizona since 2006, representing thousands of injury clients. Clients speak with him directly.
Fee terms (ER 7.1 compliant): Cases run on a contingency fee no retainer, no hourly billing, no attorney fee unless compensation is recovered. Case costs are advanced and reimbursed from any recovery, with terms in writing before you sign. Consultations are free.
Because a rider takes the impact directly, head strikes become the long tail of a brain injury and a spinal injury shifts the case toward lifetime care costs. Where a rider does not survive, only the beneficiaries listed in A.R.S. § 12-612 may bring a wrongful death action.
No. A.R.S. § 28-815 requires riding as close as practicable to the right-hand curb only when traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic, and even then lists four exceptions: passing, preparing for a left turn, avoiding hazards, and a lane too narrow to share safely. A bike lane is for the exclusive use of bicycles, but using it is not mandatory.
Yes. Their bodily injury liability coverage responds regardless of what you were riding. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may also apply, since it follows the person rather than the vehicle, which matters if the driver was uninsured or fled.
Yes, and the rule is specific. A.R.S. § 28-817 requires a white front lamp visible at least 500 feet plus a department-approved red rear reflector visible from 50 to 300 feet. A rear lamp is permitted in addition to the reflector, not instead of it, so a blinking taillight alone may not comply.
No. Arizona has no statewide helmet requirement at any age, though some municipalities impose local rules for riders under 18. Not wearing one violates no state law and cannot reduce the driver’s fault share, though an insurer may raise it on damages.
A bicycle injury lawyer works details that vanish fast lane width, camera footage, and the bicycle itself before repair, since frame and wheel damage establish impact direction and speed.
Harris Injury Law, PLLC 1136 E Campbell Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (480) 800-4878
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This page provides general information about Arizona law and is not legal advice. Reading it creates no attorney-client relationship. Arizona law and local ordinances change. Consult a licensed Arizona attorney about your situation.
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