By Alex Stalvey
This moment calls for a clear reminder of how drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians are expected to share busy surface streets safely.
With the long-term rehabilitation of the Church Street Bridge underway, Greenville is bracing for an extended closure. Vehicles that once moved efficiently through that corridor will soon be pushed onto surface streets and neighborhood routes that many drivers don’t typically use.
Those same streets that weave through downtown neighborhoods are heavily traveled by pedestrians and cyclists, people biking to work or runners heading for the Swamp Rabbit Trail. As congestion increases on unfamiliar routes, patience will be tested, and the margin for error will narrow.
With warmer weather approaching (we hope!!), more people will be outdoors walking, running, and biking.
That makes now an especially important time for a refresher on what South Carolina law requires when we are all sharing the road.
What Drivers Need to Know
Picture this: you’re rerouted onto a surface street you don’t normally drive. Traffic is backed up. You finally get a chance to turn right on red. You’re watching for cars coming from your left, and you miss a pedestrian stepping into the crosswalk from your right.
Under South Carolina law, pedestrians have the right of way in marked crosswalks and unmarked crosswalks at intersections, particularly when traffic-control signals are not in place or not operating. Drivers must slow or stop as needed and may not proceed until the pedestrian is out of the driver’s lane and no longer in danger. In fact, the law requires a driver to wait until the pedestrian has cleared the intersection.
Another common scenario: you’re turning left at an intersection near downtown. A cyclist is traveling straight through the intersection. Turning across their path without yielding is a frequent cause of serious injury, and a common basis for fault.
Drivers should also remember: if a vehicle is stopped at a crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross, other drivers may not pass that stopped vehicle. Impatience can quickly turn into liability.
What Cyclists Need to Know
Cyclists are lawful users of the roadway in South Carolina and generally have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers.
Imagine riding on a surface street now carrying detour traffic. The shoulder is narrow, debris is present, and cars are closer than usual. While cyclists are generally expected to ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, safety conditions matter.
In fact, cyclists are not required to ride on the shoulder, and when conditions make it unsafe, they may lawfully adjust their position in the roadway. While this might seem frustrating for a driver who has no other route options for the moment, the law will side with the cyclist if there’s an accident.
At intersections, where many serious accidents occur, predictable behavior is important. I’d encourage cyclists to obey traffic signals and turn signals, and to assume that drivers navigating unfamiliar routes may not expect a cyclist, even when the cyclist has the right of way.
Let’s Set the Record Straight About Dedicated Bike Lanes
Dedicated bike lanes are meant to improve safety, but they also create misunderstandings.
In South Carolina, bike lanes are considered part of the roadway. Drivers may not treat them as buffer space for passing, staging turns, or easing congestion. A common detour-related scenario involves a driver drifting into a bike lane to get around traffic or to prepare for a turn, placing a cyclist directly in harm’s way.
Bike lanes often narrow or disappear at intersections, which is where drivers must be especially careful. Drivers turning across a bike lane must yield to cyclists traveling straight. But I would caution cyclists to expect that drivers, especially those unfamiliar with the route, may not look for them where the bike lane ends.
It’s also important to understand that a cyclist isn’t required to remain in a dedicated bike lane. If debris, an obstacle, parked vehicles, construction, or safety concerns make the lane impractical, cyclists may lawfully leave it. It’s the responsibility of a driver to assume this is a possibility. A cyclist riding outside a painted bike lane is not automatically doing anything wrong.
How Police Officers and Insurance Companies View Bike-Lane Accidents
When an accident involves a bike lane, law enforcement and insurers look closely at right-of-way, lane position, and driver behavior. In many cases, officers focus on whether:
- A driver failed to yield while turning across a bike lane
- A vehicle entered or blocked a bike lane improperly
- A cyclist was traveling lawfully and predictably
Insurance companies often view bike lanes as visual warnings to drivers. When a marked bike lane is present, insurers frequently expect drivers to have seen or anticipated the cyclist. Claims involving vehicles crossing into bike lanes or turning across them often result in increased scrutiny of the driver’s actions, even when the driver claims they “didn’t see” the cyclist.
Drivers would be wise to watch for these painted lines. They signal expected behavior, and ignoring them or claiming you didn’t see them often carries legal and financial consequences.
What Pedestrians Need to Know
Pedestrians have strong protections, but also responsibilities.
Crossing at an intersection without painted lines is still crossing within a legal crosswalk. Drivers must yield. However, pedestrians crossing outside of marked crosswalks or unmarked crosswalks at intersections must yield to vehicles, and pedestrian-control signals must be obeyed where present.
Many pedestrian injuries occur during turns, when drivers focus on vehicle traffic and overlook someone already in the crosswalk. During periods of congestion and unfamiliar routes, extra awareness can prevent serious harm.
Pedestrians, walkers, and joggers should expect increased traffic on routes affected by the bridge closure. It would be a good idea to evaluate the cross spots they use out of habit and to check that they are actually official crosswalks. If they aren’t, consider changing up the route.
Right-of-way laws exist to protect the most vulnerable road users, especially during disruptions like this. Understanding and respecting those rules isn’t about courtesy—it’s about safety and accountability.
INJURED IN A PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT? SPEAK WITH OUR TEAM TODAY.
If you’re driving, slow down and scan wider.
If you’re cycling, ride predictably and assert your space lawfully.
If you’re walking, stay visible and alert.
Whether someone is behind the wheel, on a bike, or on foot, an injury can change everything. My team and I work for accident victims across all of these situations to ensure their voices are heard and their cases are presented in a way that reflects the true impact of their injuries. If you need help, you can schedule a meeting with us HERE.
SPEAK WITH A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER NOW
