If anyone is interested, here is the Letter to the Editor I just submitted to
our local paper:
As a bicycle commuter of over 2 years, I was saddened to read of the death of cyclist Kevin Spaulding in an accident on Wednesday, January 6. It is especially tragic to reflect on the fact that he was riding against traffic, as I believe that this was probably a contributing factor to the accident. Because going against traffic is the recommended direction for pedestrians, many people may conclude that it is the same for bikes. However, bicycle safety advocates, and most experienced cyclists, would strongly disagree. Cyclists move much faster than pedestrians, and cannot stop or change direction on a dime, two important differences.
It has been said that the two most important considerations in bicycling with traffic are visibility and predictability. Riding against traffic violates both of these. Drivers are not expecting to see a bicycle riding against them, and psychologists know that it is very easy to miss something you are not looking for. Even if a driver is looking in that position prior to moving into the intersection, a fast cyclist could move into the area between the time the driver looks and the time he turns. Finally, if the driver does see the cyclist, he has no idea what the cyclist is going to do, because the cyclist is already not operating as a normal moving vehicle.
Also consider the relative speeds involved. A driver moving at 35 MPH and a bicyclist approaching him at 15 MPH are moving towards each other at a combined speed of 50! On the other hand, if the cyclist is riding with traffic at 15, cars going 35 will overtake the cyclist at a relative speed of only 20. That makes for fewer driver/cyclist interactions in the same amount of time, at slower speeds, thus increasing the margin of error and decreasing potential damage should a collision occur.
It is not my intention to place blame or diminish the loss felt by Spaulding's friends and family. In fact, I want to do what I can to make sure that it doesn't happen again. To that end, I encourage all cyclists to educate themselves on safe riding. Read John Forester's "Effective Cycling", or Robert Hurst's "The Art of Urban Cycling". On the web, you can go to www.bicyclesafe.com, google for "vehicular cycling", or read discussion on safety issues at www.bikeforums.net. If your friend or family member rides, please show this letter to them. Thank you. Thanks to everyone who commented on the original thread, from which I lifted a lot of this information! And yes, I will try to read Forester's book myself soon!
