If you ride a bicycle in North Carolina, you have the right to use the road. You also have a responsibility to follow the same traffic laws as motorized vehicles.

In communities like Elizabeth City, bike riding is increasing as an alternative to paying high gasoline prices. But people, it would seem, have forgotten a few basic rules of the road.

"What we're seeing is a lot of violations," says Elizabeth City Police Department Lt. John Etheridge.

Etheridge, who trains his officers to patrol on bikes, says the local police department is about to step up enforcement of laws that not only apply to drivers, but cyclists as well; save for a few things, cyclists are bound to the same rules as automobile drivers.

"What we plan on doing is enforcing, especially the law for kids not having approved helmets for riding a bike," says Etheridge.

Children under the age of 16 are required to wear a bike helmet, says Etheridge. And, "Cyclists should not be on the sidewalks."

That's a tricky rule of the road since many of Elizabeth City's streets are not bike friendly.

"Cyclists should ride with the flow of traffic, close to the curb," says Etheridge. "Use the same laws as cars."

Cyclists should also be savvy and ride defensively, he says. For example, wear bright or reflective clothing and beware of parked cars when riding close to cars.

Cyclists should also know the arm signals for right and left turns and stop and use them when appropriate.

Etheridge says there is an increase of bikes on the road and motorists are not used to that. They're not respecting the rights of cyclists.

"The motorists are not used to all these bicycles," he says. "The motorists think they own the road."

Etheridge says he believes that over a period of time motorists will become more comfortable with sharing the road with cyclists. He says until then safety is paramount.

For bike safety courses, call the Elizabeth City Police Department at 252-335-4321 and ask for Lt. John Etheridge.

Until then, here are a few safety tips from the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

For cyclists:

Always wear a bicycle helmet;

Ride on the right-hand side of the road, in the same direction as other vehicles;

Obey all traffic signs and signals;

Properly signal all movements and make sure movements can be made safely;

Yield to drivers and pedestrians, as appropriate; and

Avoid riding at night, but if you do, be sure to use a headlight visible from a distance of 300 feet and a red reflector visible at a distance of 200 feet, as well as wear reflective clothing.

For drivers:

Keep a lookout for oncoming bicyclists when turning left and wait for them to clear the intersection before completing your turn;

After passing a bicyclist on your right, take care not to cut them off by immediately turning right in front of them;

Slow down when passing a bicyclist to make sure the rider is aware of your presence and leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the bicyclist;

Stay alert for bicyclists who suddenly swerve or turn in front of you; and

Yield to bicyclists, when appropriate, as you would for other motor vehicles.

For more information on bicycle safety, laws pertaining to the operation of a bicycle and bicycle crash facts, visit the NCDOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation's Web site at www.ncdot.org/transit/bicycle/.