The Willow Glen Resident Cyclist's Road Rationality By Richard Lowenthal In talking about culture clashes, one is often overlooked. It causes fear and anger and sometimes erupts in violence. This conflict is between motor vehicle drivers and bicycle riders. I like cycling. It's great to take a bike ride in the morning for a cup of coffee. It's good exercise and it's fun. On the other hand, when I'm driving, I'm sometimes annoyed by cyclists. I don't like waiting for a long line of slow cyclists to ride by before I can make my turn. It bugs me when they ride three abreast and I have to go slowly behind them or change lanes to pass. It makes me mad when a cyclist acts like he owns the road. When I'm a cyclist, another emotion dominates my relationship with cars--fear. It is scary to be riding along and have a truck drift into the bike lane or suddenly turn in front of me. This fear enters my mind every time I ride. This same fear causes me to forbid my 9-year-old daughter to ride her bike to school or around the neighborhood. Here's what you can do to help when you are a cyclist: * Even though you have rights on the road, avoid irritating drivers. Don't push your rights to the limit if they are likely to anger a driver. It adds to the spiraling conflict, and besides it's just not nice. * If there is a bike lane use it, and stay in it unless you are passing, you're about to make a left turn, or there is a hazard in the lane. The bike lane is a special privilege for cyclists--car drivers resent it if you don't use it and ride in front of them instead. Ride two abreast only when there is plenty of room for a car to go by. Don't ride three abreast. * Be considerate of drivers when you are in a group of cyclists blocking the path of a car. Signal to them when it is their turn. Treat them with the respect you give to another cyclist. * Ride on the right side of the road. Studies show that the No. 1 cause of bicycle/car accidents is riding on the wrong side of the street. * Accidents occur because drivers look to their left when they are turning at intersections or entering traffic from a driveway. They may not see a bicyclist approaching from the right. If the accident occurs on the sidewalk, chances are both drivers are at fault. But it doesn't matter because the bicyclist is the one who will suffer the most severe injuries. * Obey the law. Stop at stop signs and red lights. It's illegal, dangerous, and irritating when you ignore the law. * Why should you do these things?--for your safety at the time, and just as importantly to reduce the emotional war that exists between some drivers and some cyclists. Here's what you can do to help when you're driving: * Acknowledge that every cyclist is potentially one less car on the road and might actually reduce road congestion. * Be careful--it's not nice to scare cyclists and you can really hurt someone. * Don't try to scare cyclists in an effort to tell them they don't belong on the road. They have the right to use the road. Don't let the size of your vehicle turn you into a bully. * Be patient. Bicycles are slower than cars. That won't change and it means sometimes you will have to slow down, just as you would for a truck or bus. * Why should you do these things? It's a nice way to treat your neighbors. It's also the law. If the two sides of this conflict can come together, we can save lives and prevent injuries. If we do a good job of it, maybe people can do more bike commuting, and we can have an impact on road congestion. We might even get some satisfaction from just being nice. Richard Lowenthal is a member of the Cupertino Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, November 4, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.