Advocacy & Safety - Another misinformed editorial

It's not just in my area, nova, it's whereever vehicular cyclists live, have lived, and have visited. For some reason, vehicular cyclists report that their approach to cycling works just as effectively no matter which city, town , state or country they are in. A few months ago someone was singing the "Oh, you've never cycled on such and such street and Houston", that's why you write the way you do, until a vehicular cyclist from Houston showed up and said riding there was no problem at all.



Whoa... hold on there fella... different cyclists have different experiences on different roads in different parts of town. Before you go blanket commenting on some vc experience in some town as "being so much better" there has to be a true apples to apples comparison.

I was just looking at routes I used to take through North Park "eons" ago, and noticed that the roads were quiet Bike Routes on side streets... something of which little exists in my current area of town where I now ride on multilaned high speed boulevards.

So before doing this great vc verses other cyclists comparison... make sure you are talking same road and same time period.

Hey better yet... spend some time and go visit these roads yourself... (as I have challanged you to do before). I am sure the riders here on BF would be more then glad to show you their worst roads... AND think of the great data gathering expedition it would make for your book.

Also consider that if you can show the "local" rider how to better handle a particular road, you could end up making a VC Disciple in that town that could help spread your message...

Whoa... hold on there fella... different cyclists have different experiences on different roads in different parts of town. Before you go blanket commenting on some vc experience in some town as "being so much better" there has to be a true apples to apples comparison.

I was just looking at routes I used to take through North Park "eons" ago, and noticed that the roads were quiet Bike Routes on side streets... something of which little exists in my current area of town where I now ride on multilaned high speed boulevards.

So before doing this great vc verses other cyclists comparison... make sure you are talking same road and same time period.

Hey better yet... spend some time and go visit these roads yourself... (as I have challanged you to do before). I am sure the riders here on BF would be more then glad to show you their worst roads... AND think of the great data gathering expedition it would make for your book.

Also consider that if you can show the "local" rider how to better handle a particular road, you could end up making a VC Disciple in that town that could help spread your message...
Heck imagine the fun of the huge bike tour it would be pluss the useable data. I had a couple teen girls cussing me out on a bike route today i pointed at the sings and told em to shut up and read then made a point to hold the lane till they turned off. Same for 2 jerk guys in their truck. Some times it works (esp when you have road signs and a cop to back you up heh). Cop drove by on the passenger side and i heard him tell each passenger to inform the driver that fines are doubled in this area as its both a construction zone and a bike route.

Which gets back to the key difference in opinion I have with you and many other members of this forum. That is, it is my understanding that in the majority of car-bike collisions it is the cyclist that is at fault.

...

Now say you have only sufficient energy (resources) for two wand waves. Do you wave the cyclist wand once and the motorist wand once (the balanced approach), or do you wave the cyclist wand twice and not bother with the motorist wand, or do you wave the motorist wand twice and not bother with the cyclist wand?

I agree that the majority of bike-car collisions are most likely the cyclist fault - there is no difference of opinion here. But you miss my point I've made before. There are many cyclists who do obey the laws, do ride predictably, do ride vehicularly. These cyclist still deal with innative motorists, left turning in front of you, speeding, passing to close, etc. These motorist have the most danger potential in their hands and must step up to the responsibility to drive safely not just for them, but for others sharing the road way. The second part you missed it this is not a resource issue, the issue at hand is the editorialist could have laid it out more fairly - i.e. peds, motorist, cyclist all break laws, we have a shared responsibilty to make using the roads/sidewalks safer. Cylists should ride predictably, signal intention, stop at signs/signals. Motorists the same and obey speed limit. Pedestrians should cross legally and not enter roadway until signaled. i.e lay the blame out equally in the editorial and lay out the solution as a shared one - everyoine follow the law, everyone walk/drive/cycle predictably. It is not a resource issue, it is an editorial which takes the same pennies to print no matter what the tone.

Al

Today there was a letter to the editor that is not cycling related, but is a motorist suggesting better drivers education - driving safety is a constant issue in the news around here:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/eastvalleyopinions/articles/1005selets05.html

Better training, not more tickets, will cut carnage

Oct. 5, 2005 12:00 AM

Mesa's plan to increase traffic enforcement, though laudable, is akin to closing the barn door after the horse is gone.

"Writing hundreds of tickets in hopes of reversing a sharp rise in roadway deaths" will do nothing to undo the primary cause of the carnage on our streets: Poor driver education and training.

Will they be writing tickets for talking on a cellphone, or for eating breakfast, or for disciplining the kids in the back seat, all while operating a two-ton vehicle at 45 mph?

No, of course not.

Will increasing traffic citations do anything to help drivers understand that their 6,000-pound SUV does not turn or stop like a 2,400-pound Miata?

It will not. Writing tickets after the crashes have occurred will not stop the bad behaviors that caused them.

Unless and until we as a society demand that the drivers on our roads and highways be better trained, the carnage will continue.

Unfortunately, that will only come about after someone has successfully sued the MVD for negligence, for having licensed incompetent drivers and turning them loose on the road without adequate skills or preparation. - Ed Coleman
Tempe