ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — If you’re riding a bicycle on a street in Illinois, the law specifically says whether you should ride with or against the flow of traffic.

According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Bicycle Rules of the Road, cyclists must ride in the same direction as other traffic.

Riding in the opposite direction is both dangerous and illegal.

Cyclists should also make use of the bike lane, if possible.

Bike lanes are marked by “sharrows,” two inverted v-shapes above the image of a bicycle, indicating which part of the road should be used by bikes when sharing the lane with motor vehicles.

According to the Illinois Secretary of State, cyclists “should stay within” a designated bike lane when traveling. A bicyclist in Illinois is responsible for observing the same rules of the road as other vehicles, and motorists must respect their right of way.

Automobile drivers are required by law to allow at least 3 feet of space between a vehicle and a cyclist.

The rules of the road say bicyclists are permitted to ride on sidewalks, unless forbidden by local ordinances.