Protected bike lanes help eliminate perceived risk and fear of collisions; reduce the risk of crashing into car doors; and add a level of predictability making streets safer for everyone.

There may be times when a vehicle must cross a bicycle lane in city. In the event that a car needs to turn, enter or exit a roadway, or merge, it may be necessary to cross over a designated bicycle lane and it may be perfectly legal for a vehicle to do so. However, a driver who needs to travel through a bicycle lane is still required to do so in a safe and reasonable manner. This means yielding to cyclists where appropriate, allowing bikers to proceed before making a turn, and checking for oncoming cycling traffic before initiating an action that leads to or through a bicycle lane. Even if drivers must cross a lane designated for cyclists, a driver can be held liable for the damages that result if that driver crosses in a negligent fashion and causes a collision to take place.