In general, the law in Massachusetts requires bicyclists to ride in the same direction as traffic, in the street, not on the sidewalk. While many bicyclists often ride against the traffic because they want to see the vehicles coming at them, this is not the accepted and legal manner in which to ride a bicycle in Massachusetts. Should you suffer an accident while riding this manner, you could be held more responsible for your injuries than the driver of the automobile. When walking on the street, it is always better to walk towards traffic rather than with traffic. This would be opposite to riding a bicycle. A bicyclist is held to the same rules of the road as an automobile, with the exceptions made when the safety of the cyclist would be jeopardized or the flow of traffic impeded.