Originally Posted by AAA Horizons Magazine

Same Roads, Same Rules for Both Bicyclists & Motorists
By Aimée Carrier

Be sure to explain bicycle safety and traffic rules to children.
You’re late for work and in a hurry, but there’s a bicyclist in the middle of your lane, holding up your progress. Or, you’re the bicyclist trying to maneuver around parked cars, and there’s a car tight on your tail.
The situation can be frustrating from both sides, but most dangerous for the bicyclist.
“There’s no such thing as a minor collision with a person on a bicycle,” said AAA Traffic Safety Manager John Paul.
At this time of the year, there is a greater number of bicycles on the roads. And that’s where they belong, Mr. Paul emphasized. The rules governing their use are the same as those for motor vehicles.
For a safe ride, bicyclists should follow these rules:
• Do not ride bikes on sidewalks. Stay on the roadway, traveling in the same direction as motor-vehicle traffic.
• Bicycles should stay to the right along the curb.
• Ride in single file unless passing another bicycle.
• Before veering into traffic, make sure it is safe to do so.
• Walk a bike across an intersection rather than riding.
• Obey traffic signals and signs, and indicate actions such as turning and stopping by using appropriate hand gestures.
And, the rules are the same for adults and children.
For that reason, “before you buy a bike for a child, make sure he or she is mentally and physically ready to ride it,” said AAA Education Specialist Diana Imondi Dias, who teaches bicycle safety to children. “A bike is not a toy.”
“Parents should explain traffic rules to their children,” said Ms. Imondi Dias.
It’s also important that children know how to use hand signals to indicate direction.
But bicycle safety is not just the burden of riders.
“Motorists need to be constantly aware of everything around them,” Mr. Paul said.
Allow plenty of room when you are passing a bicycle, and take care when pulling into an intersection. Come to a full stop before taking a right turn on red, as there might be a bicycle in your path.
This issue of sharing road responsibly is the focus of a new awareness initiative by the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike).
“Same Roads, Same Rules” resulted from a survey of cyclists and motorists, said Shane Jordan, Director of Education for MassBike. The survey revealed safety concerns and law breaking by both groups.
The difference, Mr. Jordan said, is “when bicyclists break the law, they predominantly endanger themselves. When motorists break the law, they predominantly endanger others.”
Mr. Jordan said the most common traffic violations committed by cyclists are failure to stop at intersections, signs and signals. For motorists, they are failure to yield and illegal turns.
“We don’t blame any one group,” Mr. Jordan said. “We’re just addressing the issues where awareness is most lacking on both sides.”
The Web site dedicated to the initiative, www.sameroadssamerules.org, provides safety information for drivers and cyclists and addresses common myths and misconceptions about the rules of the road.

Originally Posted by Mr Danw

Did you read the caption of the photo? You are just being picky.

Originally Posted by buzzman

I just got my AAA magazine. I've been thinking about canceling my membership in AAA and going to the Better World Club. This may have done it.

Take note of how they've interpreted the new MassBike "Same Roads Same Rules" campaign.

The picture accompanying the article was, of course, of a child of about age 7 on a bike. AAA would prefer that cycling be seen as a less than mature means of getting around- it's for children.

I've bolded some statements that are both inaccurate and unsafe.





Right to the Curb- Bicyclists in Massachusetts are subject to the same rules applicable to any vehicle that is moving more slowly than overtaking traffic still moving within the speed limit. Which means move to the right to allow for an overtaking vehicle to pass safely when conditions permit. No where does the law specify that bikes must be ridden "right to the curb".

Single file: The new law in Massachusetts is: "Riding Two Abreast Permitted : Bicyclists are no longer restricted to riding single file at all times. You can now ride two abreast (two bicycles, side-by-side), except that you still have to help faster vehicles to pass. So stay in single file when cars need to get by! On multi-lane roads, you can ride two abreast, but all the cyclists in your group must stay in one lane (which will usually be the right-hand lane unless you are making a left turn)."- from MassBike

Veering into Traffic As we all know bicyclists only "veer" into traffic- they never move into another lane. Bicyclists on the road are traffic.

Walk across an intersection Pedestrian deaths at intersections are as high, if not higher, than cyclists- how this is "safer" or smarter boggles my mind. I would suggest all drivers stop and push their vehicles through intersections- that might save some lives.

Originally Posted by Digital_Cowboy

I also think that if more motorists did as you've suggested and pushed their cars through that most of them would end up losing some weight.

Originally Posted by B. Carfree

I love it. I occasionally encounter places where there are signs instructing cyclists to "walk bikes" to the parking racks. I will gladly walk my bike to the bike racks when the drivers of cars push their cars through the parking lots.

Originally Posted by buzzman

Veering into Traffic As we all know bicyclists only "veer" into traffic- they never move into another lane. Bicyclists on the road are traffic..

Originally Posted by buzzman

Walk across an intersection Pedestrian deaths at intersections are as high, if not higher, than cyclists- how this is "safer" or smarter boggles my mind. I would suggest all drivers stop and push their vehicles through intersections- that might save some lives.

Originally Posted by Pscyclepath

...The teaching point here is "never move laterally (left or right) on the roadway without scanning behind you for overtaking traffic. Could be a bus or car, could be an overtaking roadie. If you're consistent about this rule, it pretty much eliminates the infamous "single-witness suicide swerve" that gets so many riders hurt or killed. Young or old, never shift lanes without looking back to make sure the coast is clear.

Originally Posted by Pscyclepath

We teach children younger than ten years of age to ride at pedestrian speed on the sidewalk, and to walk their bikes across the crosswalks at intersections. (LAB's Bicycling 123, Youth Instructor Manual) Likewise, we teach them to make left turns pedestrian style, by dismounting at the corners and walking through the crosswalks. Children at that age simply don't have the development necessary to ride in traffic. Once they get ten years old or so, their peripheral vision and judgemental skills have improved enough that they can start learning to ride in the street.

Originally Posted by buzzman

Well said, and my point is by using the word "veer" the implication is that is the modus operandi of the average cyclist. Had they been talking about an automobile changing lanes (moving laterally) I doubt they would have said, "when you veer..."






Yes, of course, we do and that makes sense. But there is a consistency on the part of AAA to always address issues of bicycling as something we teach children to do and it being an activity primarily engaged in by children. Seldom are cycling issues addressed as a part of the transportation paradigm and as an adult activity- though occasional references are made to adult cycling but usually as a form of recreation only.

My problems with the article are the subtle misinterpretations of the "Same Road/Same Rules" campaign and the implications that bicycling is a childish activity to be engaged in by people riding "right to the curb".

Originally Posted by Pscyclepath

We teach children younger than ten years of age to ride at pedestrian speed on the sidewalk, and to walk their bikes across the crosswalks at intersections. (LAB's Bicycling 123, Youth Instructor Manual) Likewise, we teach them to make left turns pedestrian style, by dismounting at the corners and walking through the crosswalks. Children at that age simply don't have the development necessary to ride in traffic. Once they get ten years old or so, their peripheral vision and judgemental skills have improved enough that they can start learning to ride in the street.

Originally Posted by Pscyclepath

If you're consistent about this rule, it pretty much eliminates the infamous "single-witness suicide swerve" that gets so many riders hurt or killed. Young or old, never shift lanes without looking back to make sure the coast is clear.

Originally Posted by Standalone

By law in Connecticut, three feet of that coast should *always* be clear. This is another way to eliminate the single-witness suicide swerve...

Originally Posted by mikeshoup

Am I the only one who thinks the kid in the photo looks like a total ****er? With the knee pads, elbow pads and everything.