There is considerable confusion expressed about the meaning of vehicular cycling. Among these, are:

“VC is cycling as if you’re a car”

VC has been imprecisely described as “cycling as if you’re a car”. Operators of horses, and buggies, tractor trailers, motor vehicles, and bicycles share the same basic rules of the road for drivers, so a more accurate description of VC is “cycling as if you’re a driver”.

While most of the rules apply to everyone operating a vehicle, there are some exceptions. For example, drivers of heavy motor vehicles (car, motorcycle, etc.) are required to be licensed because of the extraordinary danger posed to others by the operation of those vehicles.

All drivers should use the principle of destination positioning when approaching and crossing junctions with streets, alleys, driveways, etc. Another principle, which applies more often when cycling than when motoring, is speed positioning; drivers who are traveling slowly should (when traveling between intersections and not passing or turning) keep to the outside marked travel lane or to the outside of the road (when such lanes aren’t available in that direction).

“VC is needlessly blocking cars”

Cyclists who ride in the center of a lane needlessly impeding faster traffic are sometimes mistakenly referred to as vehicular cyclists; yet by definition a cyclist who needlessly impedes faster traffic is violating the vehicular rules of the road and is hence not riding vehicularly. A motorist who needlessly impedes faster traffic will be cited for that offense.

“VC means ‘taking the lane’”

Because the practice of using the full lane when it is safe and appropriate to do so often distinguishes vehicular cyclists from other types of cyclists, the meaning of VC is sometimes used to mean “taking the lane”. For example, someone might claim that they ride “VC” on part of their commute, but not the whole time, meaning that some of the time they ride in a lane-sharing position near the edge of the road (as if that’s not VC because they’re not using the full traffic lane when they do that). But since a fundamental principle of vehicular behavior is “speed positioning”, drivers of slower vehicles often operate “as far outside as practicable” in order to allow faster traffic to pass. So do vehicular cyclists.

“VC means not riding in bicycle lanes”

Another misconception about VC — that riding in a bicycle lane is contrary to the principles of VC — probably stems from a misunderstanding of John Forester’s teachings about bicycle lanes. Forester has written that Effective Cycling does not train a cyclist to avoid riding in a bicycle lane, but rather to choose their lateral position as if the bicycle lane stripe is not there. Cyclists who end up in a bicycle lane should be extra cautious with regard to people who look for vehicles only in the traffic lanes, watch for the road debris that tends to accumulate there, and avoid crossing the solid stripe without first yielding to other traffic.

Also, while many VC advocates oppose bike lanes, what they actually oppose is the bike lane stripe, not the space demarcated by the stripe. Nor do they oppose riding in that space (whether it is demarcated or not) when safe, reasonable and appropriate to do so for the current factors and conditions. The opposition to the stripe is based on the widespread perception that the demarcated “bike lane” space is the only place where bicyclists should ride regardless of current factors and conditions.

“VC means you have to follow the letter of the law”

To understand vehicular cycling, it is important to fully comprehend the subtle but significant distinction between the principles for driving a vehicle in traffic and the laws which regulate driving in a given jurisdiction. Vehicular cycling is based on the principles, not the laws.

To illustrate the distinction between these two concepts, consider the principle that vehicles should always travel within the portion of the road intended for the movement of vehicular traffic (a.k.a. the Traveled Way). Now consider those laws which prohibit drivers of a particular class of vehicle (bicyclists) from traveling within the Traveled Way when a path (such as a sidewalk) exists along side. Notice the difference between principle and law in this example.

John Forester illustrated the distinction in another way when he wrote about turn signals:

“The law about making turn signals differs from state to state, and has differed from time to time. The principle is that any driver who will be affected by the movement should be informed of your intended movement. However, the implementations of that principle differ.”

The principles of driving require that a driver signal those who will likely be affected by a change in the movement of the driver’s vehicle. If a look back meets this requirement when merging, then that is all which is required of a vehicular cyclist. While the law may require cyclists to use their arms to signal, the principle does not dictate that a vehicular cyclist must do so. Vehicular cycling requires sound judgment in the application of the principles of driving, not blind compliance with the law.