Cyclists and bike lanes in the Netherlands: the rules for drivers
A cycle path is separate from the road, and a car may not drive or park on it. A cycle lane is part of the road, marked with bike symbols: you may not use it if it has a solid line, and you may never stop on it or on the road next to it. A coloured strip without bike symbols is an advisory strip with no legal status. When you turn, cyclists going straight on have priority.
The three types side by side
| Type | How you recognise it | Drive on it? | Stop or park on it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle path (fietspad) | Separate from the carriageway, with sign G11, G12a or G13 | No | No |
| Cycle lane, solid line (fietsstrook) | Part of the carriageway, bike symbols and a solid line | No | No, and not on the road alongside it either |
| Cycle lane, broken line | Part of the carriageway, bike symbols and a broken line | Only when you need to | No, and not on the road alongside it either |
| Advisory strip (fietssuggestiestrook) | Coloured strip without bike symbols | Yes | Yes, unless another rule forbids it |
Cycle paths: G11, G12a and G13
A cycle path is a separate track for cyclists, divided from the carriageway by a verge or a kerb. Cyclists must use a compulsory cycle path (sign G11, a round blue sign with a white bicycle) or a cycle and moped path (G12a), and may choose to use an optional cycle path (G13, a rectangular sign with the word 'fietspad') (article 5). For you as a car driver the difference does not matter: other drivers use the carriageway and may not park on a cycle path (article 10).
Cycle lanes: part of the road
A cycle lane is a strip of the carriageway reserved for cyclists, with bike symbols on the surface. Drivers other than cyclists may not use a cycle lane with a solid line (article 10). A broken line you may cross or drive on when you need to, for example to make room for oncoming traffic, but you do not stay on it. You may not stop on a cycle lane, and not on the carriageway alongside a cycle lane either (article 23), so no dropping someone off there.
The advisory strip: the exam trap
An advisory strip looks like a cycle lane: a red or coloured strip along the edge of the road. But it has no bike symbol and no legal status in the RVV 1990. For the law it is ordinary carriageway, so you may drive, stop and park on it unless another rule says otherwise. The way to tell the difference is the bike symbol: no symbol, no cycle lane.
Priority: when cyclists go first
- Turning: when you turn left or right, you give way to traffic on the same road going straight on, and that includes cyclists on a cycle path or cycle lane alongside you (article 18). This is where most right-turn accidents happen: mirror and blind spot, every time.
- Equal junction: a cyclist coming from your right has priority, like any other driver (article 15).
- Priority road: on a road with sign B1 or B3, cyclists from the side road give way to you.
- Overtaking: cyclists overtake each other on the left, but they may overtake other vehicles on the right (article 11). Expect them there.
More on who goes first at junctions: priority rules in the Netherlands. On roundabouts with a cycle path, the sharks' teeth decide: roundabouts in the Netherlands.
A 'fietsstraat' (cycle street, often with a sign saying 'auto te gast') is a street design, not a traffic sign from the RVV 1990. The normal rules apply there, including the speed limit on the signs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive or park on a cycle path?
No. A cycle path is not part of the carriageway: cars may not drive on it and may not park on it. That goes for a compulsory cycle path (G11), a cycle and moped path (G12a) and an optional cycle path (G13).
Can I drive on a cycle lane?
Not on a cycle lane with a solid line. Over a cycle lane with a broken line you may drive when you need to, for example to make room, but you may not stop on it. You may not stop on the carriageway alongside a cycle lane either.
What is a coloured strip without a bike symbol?
An advisory strip (fietssuggestiestrook). It has no legal status: for the law it is ordinary carriageway. The bike symbol is what makes a strip a real cycle lane.
Do cyclists have priority when I turn right?
Yes. When you turn, you give way to traffic on the same road that is going straight on, and that includes cyclists on a cycle path or cycle lane next to you. Check your mirror and blind spot before you turn.
Can cyclists overtake me on the right?
Yes. Cyclists overtake each other on the left, but they may overtake other vehicles on the right. Expect them there, especially when you are about to turn right.
Sources, checked on 3 November 2026:
Written by Nawfal Serraji, traffic law specialist and founder of HaalTheorie.