While waiting at a red light, the car in front of me clipped the tail-end of a bicycle crossing directly in front of him. Wham! This sent the unsuspecting biker flying off his bicycle, while the driver simply sped away. So who’s to blame?
At first thought, the driver may seem to be at fault. Upon further reflection, the cyclist should never have been in such a situation. He should have been on the opposite side of the street! There are two possibilities for why the biker made this mistake: 1) he didn’t know where he should ride, or 2) he knew but was afraid of riding there.
Continued bike safety courses in educational and youth systems would provide necessary education of the issue. For example, high schools and church youth groups could teach participants about common bike etiquette to promote healthy automobile-bicycle relations. Roadways lack signs informing bikers of traffic laws. Improvement of traffic signs and bike lanes gives cyclists confidence when riding on the roads with the rest of traffic. If action is not taken, accidents such as that previously mentioned will continue to be a common occurrence.
Resolving these issues will encourage people to ride their bikes while feeling safe, encouraging a healthy lifestyle and taking advantage of our local natural beauty. Steps have been taken on BYU’s campus to promote a bike-friendly lifestyle, and this direction should also be applied to the rest of Utah Valley.
Brian Fleming
El Paso, Texas