Originally Posted by
Looigi
Education and continuing awareness programs would likely help IMO. It would be best if it were pervasive so there is no question that everyone is aware of the correct/accepted behavior. That certainly doesn't guarantee they'll comply but it removes ignorance as a reason or excuse.
Originally Posted by
genec
There is a very good solution... and it helps ALL road users... it is fairly simple, and it is done in several European countries...
Teach road use, including bicycle and automobile use, in the public school system.
Start at lower grades and teach the basics of bike use, and basic traffic and road signs. Move up into later grades and teach cycling in traffic, follow that with laws and ethics of motoring and finish with simulators and hands on driving classes in the high school years. Make this as much a part of the school curriculum as reading writing and arithmetic. Driving and road use IS a life long activity... why is it that we expect people to learn this in 40 hours or so and be good at it?
When I was going to high school, drivers ed was available... is that true where you live? Why not teach cycling too... both as an exercise activity and as a means of transportation... and have that education serve as a prerequisite for driving... then certainly drivers would know what it is like to bike on the roads.
This is a life long activity, why we don't teach it with the same vigor as other subjects is beyond me. 30,000 people dying each year in motor vehicle collisions tells me that this is a crisis level situation that needs to be addressed directly.
This. Driver's ed in this country is a JOKE, and Cycling ed is virtally non-existent- although the programs available are pretty good. However, for whatever reason, even Cycle Savvy is not available to teens and younger - which is when all those bad habits start.
I'd be happier if the advocacy groups pushed for education programs, even over facitities- I think it'd have a greater impact.