i think those people with a kid on the back should have the whole lane

[2mtr]

do you all agree?
if there is a cyclist with a kid on the back in one of those seats, i think the safety of the child necessiates the cyclist taking the whole lane, just to be absolutely as sure as possible that the kid doesn't rear-ended or sideswiped.
the life of a child should be paramount to a few moments waiting behind a cyclist.

[genec]

you're preachin' to the choir, boy... go tell it on the mountain.

[EnigManiac]

I used to ride my son to school and elsewhere in a trailer and later on an add-a-bike and was always impressed with how drivers slowed behind me on one-way streets, gave me a wide berth while passing and never honked their horns or behaved aggressively. They respected that a small child was in a vulnerable position and I appreciated it. I wish motorists would give ALL cyclists that same consideration. That same attitude drivers' adopted served well in other situations as well: I used to go pick up two 24's from the beer store with that trailer and drivers assumed I had a child in there and respected my lane space. Or maybe they did know beer was in there and what a crime it would be if any bottles were broken!

[San Rensho]

I agree, but those bike seats are extremely dangerous. When you fall over (which is more likely than getting hit from behind) what part of the kid is moving the fastest? His head. I don't have kids but I would never use one and I know of some conscientious LBS owners who won't carry them because of the danger.

[EnigManiac]

I, personally, haven't fallen off a bike in more than twenty five years and I find parents with car-seats or trailers to be usually exceedingly cautious and careful, so it's unlikely they will fall, I would think.

[Black Bud]

I, personally, haven't fallen off a bike in more than twenty five years and I find parents with car-seats or trailers to be usually exceedingly cautious and careful, so it's unlikely they will fall, I would think.

The most dangerous falls in such a case would be when one is...stopped! And, the rider is unable to shift around to compensate...a task more easily done in motion, believe it or not! Remember that the kid is not only a tall load, with a high center of gravity...but...it MOVES! Unpredictably. The straps only restrain, they don't stop movement. The risk of "going over" at any time with such a tall, heavy load is known to us who use the bicycle for touring and/or utility use, and we learn to compensate for it. An easier task to master when the load is static, the usual inanimate cargo loads... and if you do it all of the time! Hauling a wiggling kid is much harder to master. But, a lot of parents who use car seats are recreational riders who are not used to load hauling of any type. They then load the kid into one of those kid seats. How does trouble in the making sound?

I am surprised that we don't hear of more accidents than we actually do.

IMHO: The best conveyance for children is a proper trailer. That is lower to the ground, and more stable.
You can go over...but the trailer probably won't; roll bars protect the kid if that happens. The very weight of the trailer and its precious load will slow you down considerably, another safety feature. (Just have GOOD brakes on BOTH wheels...no "fixies" here! Sorry.) It is also down out of the wind, which is another real danger--and also tricky to adjust to to compensate for the "windsail effect"-- when the kid is in a car seat, as with any load that is actually ON the bike.

I have not taken kids for rides, but I have transported pet carriers...and their live load...in a trailer on occasion. Handles fine. I would never strap the same carrier on a rear rack.

[John E]

Whether or not one should take the lane depends on road geometry, lane width, and other variables.

[CommuterRun]

I have found that when towing a trailer, whether it be the Burley Solo, Burley Flatbed Utility Trailer or Wike Woody Wagon with a 14 1/2' canoe on it, I am nearly always given the whole lane. The bigger and bulkier the load appears, the more room I am given.

The child seats that sit up on the bike, I wouldn't have one of those. The Solo works great for a kid + stuff, and other trailers of the same design would have the same benefits. I see no problem with using a tag-along.

[worker4youth]

I used to ride my son to school and elsewhere in a trailer and later on an add-a-bike and was always impressed with how drivers slowed behind me on one-way streets, gave me a wide berth while passing and never honked their horns or behaved aggressively. They respected that a small child was in a vulnerable position and I appreciated it. I wish motorists would give ALL cyclists that same consideration. That same attitude drivers' adopted served well in other situations as well: I used to go pick up two 24's from the beer store with that trailer and drivers assumed I had a child in there and respected my lane space. Or maybe they did know beer was in there and what a crime it would be if any bottles were broken!

Very cool! Almost makes me want to buy one of those and put a doll back there (since I don't have any kids) for my commute.

[Gurgus]

We recently got a Bell Double ride trailer for our boys. Just yesterday me and my older son went for a one hour ride with the thing through the park and on some of the busier side streets in our area. Usually I ride a single speed road bike on the main roads when by myself. I found that drivers gave me way more space and would wait until it was safe to pass with the trailer behind me. Also, they wouldn't pull the old "reving of the engine with impatience" trick behind me.
I'm thinking I may just pull the trailer behind me when I'm alone just to get the benefits it presents from drivers!

Oh yeah, and it give you a great excuse to toake up the whole lane! The thing is really wide.

[webist]

Don't stop with kids. Let's carve out a set of several exceptional classes of people. Then we can stop everyone and see if anyone on the bike falls into a specially protected class. If not, get back into the vehicle and run 'em over!