Sharing The Road

April 23, 2013

It is very easy for us to point a finger at others, but in most cases at least three of the other fingers point back to us. Yes, many car drivers are honking and yelling at cyclists and runners, driving rather close and in some instances even throwing objects at them. Plus many cyclists and runners have been killed or injured in traffic incidents. But when we are out cycling or running many of us are very oblivious to other traffic participants and we sometimes act as if we were in a race on a closed course.

When driving a car I often notice cyclists acting stupid and selfish and if these encounters annoy me as a person who also rides, it is not surprising that folks who have never swung their leg over a bike in recent years have little sympathy and patience for us. When the roads are very narrow we should ride single file and we should obey street signs and traffic lights.

Some of us are also not much more considerate as runners. I live on a steep hill that is very popular for local runners who want to do hill repeats, and often when I come back from an errand I see folks doing their workouts in the middle of the street and in many cases they will not move an inch. They may even give me and other drivers a dirty look for daring to interrupt their training effort and encroaching on their training route. And that is not just true at the hill in front of my house.

It is indeed important to educate drivers about safe distances and respecting cyclists in traffic and their are way too many cyclists who have died in traffic accidents, but we need to do our part to not become one of those numbers and we need to earn the respect from the motorists by acting responsible.

Rolla, Missouri police chief Mark Kearse hit it on the button with his recent chief chat that was posted in the Rolla Daily News. Below is the section of his chat that relates to the topic at hand:

“In the event that warmer weather ever arrives, we will anticipate local cyclists hitting the streets and bike trails in an effort to shed winter baggage and blues. We encourage motorists to use caution and share the road with cyclists as they travel around the community.

Please remember by Missouri law, bicyclists are allowed to use the road. By law, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as other vehicle drivers. When passing cyclists, common sense and standard traffic law says that ‘drivers shall pass at a safe distance.’ Squeezing past is simply unsafe and illegal!

Be sure to use special care around young cyclists and pedestrians. Young bicyclists are frequently unpredictable and present a special challenge for drivers. Approach such cyclists at a safe speed and leave extra distance between your vehicle and the cyclist for safety.

Young cyclists and pedestrians often emerge unexpectedly from behind parked cars or from driveways and side streets. They may be around a curve or over a hill, so please slow down and expect to see people cycling and walking.

On the other side of the coin, cyclists, remember safety depends on how you ride, not where. Be sure to cooperate with other drivers by following all the rules of the road. Stop and yield to cross traffic before entering a road from a driveway or sidewalk.

Be sure to stop for stop signs and red lights at intersections. Be predictable and visible! Ride with traffic and never against it. Use hand signals and communicate with other drivers. Check traffic before merging and wear a helmet!”

It would be great if more police chiefs were thinking along those lines, and we cyclists and runners need to be doing our part to be considerate and respectful traffic participants. We can’t just demand that cars share the roads with cyclists – we as cyclists also need to share the space with other traffic participants. The world does not evolve around us.