Originally Posted by
cat0020
Can you specify who "they" are?
When was the last time "they" have reviewed or updated the materials for "traffic safety & laws"?
What does your school district do to update the materials when lessons are out-of-date?
No, I will not identify my district. That would expose me to disciplinary action. Teachers are only allowed free speech as it pertains to issues of broad public interest and as a private person. The fact that I have identified myself as a teacher means that I do not have the right to speak on the topic other than to share district policy.
That is a very long way of saying, please
don't dox me.
With that out of the way, the district police department is responsible for providing bicycle education. When I have voiced my concerns I have been told that I am not to contradict the district police, as that would send mixed messages.
That said, when I am asked by students about my riding practices, I take the opportunity to tell them that it is safer and is the way that the state law requires me to ride.
I have frequently had students point out that what I am doing is not what they (the students) have been told to do. I respond by pointing them to the DOT handouts (and yes, I have several in my classroom) and tell them that I am not doing to say anything against the bicycle safety instruction that they have been given. However, I will do what is safe and required by law.
Originally Posted by
jon c.
If they're teaching kids to ride facing traffic they are astoundingly out of touch. They taught us that was incorrect 50+ years ago. I don't know if that was ever widely perceived as being appropriate but it certainly hasn't been in any of our lifetimes.
Ironically it is mostly ebike riders I see doing that. And it's a fair percentage of them (although the overall numbers are not large). I assume these are folks with no prior bicycling experience.
I can't and won't try to speak for the masses of eBike riders that you see.
Originally Posted by
Smaug1
+1
Everything I've read says to ride in the street WITH traffic, so the closing speed is subtractive instead of additive. Even when riding on sidewalks (where allowed) it's better to be going with traffic, so that when a car is waiting to pull out and turn right, the driver is looking left and seeing a cyclist. My ex-wife got hit by a car when riding in the gutter against traffic for this very reason. The guy was looking to his left and when it was clear, he started to pull out to turn right, never having looked that way. Knocked her off her bike, scraped up her frace, loosened a couple teeth. I almost had both my knees broken when crossing in a crosswalk for the same reason.
I would have a hard time teaching that, even if it were my job. I would probably run it up the line and make an issue of it.
I don't teach it. I do not teach the bicycle safety class. While there was an interest in having me teach a short bicycle maintenance elective, that idea was dropped.
Bicycle safety is taught by the district police department. As I have commented, I have clear instructions that I am not to "undermine" their instruction.