Saw this article which comes to you from my old stomping grounds (Santa Cruz, CA). Anyone else out there come from a place that implements this kind of plan? I'm not sure where they get their stats with regard to fault, cyclists vs. motorists. If one gets enough points levied against them, do they take your bike away?

I'll say it again: I knew I moved away for a reason.

In London you can have, when available, the option of either a fine or immediately watching a psa video. I don't know if watching the video has changed anyone's behaviour though.

I'm from Santa Cruz, too. I don't see any problem with this law. Before this law: you get a ticket, you pay a fine. After this law: you get a ticket, you optionally pay a fine or go to traffic school.

What's the problem with that?

I lived in Santa Cruz for three years back before I got into bicycling as my primary form of getting around. As a pedestrian in downtown Santa Cruz (on Pacific Ave) I can say the cyclists were a frigging menace: I've never seen so many wrong way cyclists!

I still always look both ways before stepping into a one way street now entirely because of that.

What's wrong with it is that the program will likely not reform those who break cycling laws. It sounds like something to keep law enforcement busy, and give someone a gold star for forming legislation.

I rode my bike to school 4th-10th grades, had a paper route the entire time, then got me a car like most of us do at that age. I then rode from Neary Lagoon to Cabrillo, then from Cabrillo to Scotts Valley to work, then home for two years.

All the traffic school (seemingly - I'm not there) does is provide a get out of jail (almost) free card. Having been raised there, I speak from years of experience. I wouldn't say the wrong way cyclists are a menace (there are plenty of ninjas as well), but the program itself is an absolute waste of money and resources. How many people do you know who went to traffic school for a speeding ticket/other driving infraction, yet they still practice the same reckless behavior? I know loads of them.

Hey notfred, any chance you grew up in Santa Cruz in the 70's/80's? Maybe I know you :-)

As a kid in Europe I was REQUIRED to attend traffic classes and pass a stringent test on rules, signs, etc before I could ride a bike on the street. I also couldn't ride in the street without proper headlight/taillight/bell equipment. Yes, you would get pulled over when on a bike and spotted with an equipment or traffic infraction.

It makes sense to me, but USA is so different in many aspects.

+1 I grew up in Holland, and traffic rules/law was taught starting in Kindergarden with heavy emphasis on how to act as a pedestrian and cyclists. By the time you got the 6th grade you had to pass a riding exam to be allowed to go on the end of year trip with your classmates. My family moved state side before I could do that, but I remember my sister doing it. The bikes also had to comply with Dutch safety standards: That included lights front and rear, large 2"x3" rear reflector (that become stardard in the late 1970's), reflectors in the wheels (preferably also on tires), reflectors on the pedals. I might have missed something but those are the biggies. Fenders are not legally required, but pretty much all bikes have them.

I went back and spent most of my Summers in Holland and got around a lot on bikes. I don't remember seeing to many wrong way cyclists, and wrong way Ninja's were exceedingly rare at night. Wrong way cars on the highways somehow were weekly occurrances... go figure.

I see WAY to many kids and adults here riding or walking on the wrong side of the road, especially at night. I have plenty of close calls where I've only seen them when I was too darn close for comfort. Since the average school in the USA does nothing to teach people how to behave on a road, and even the DMV drivers training books tend to be exceedingly thin on bike and pedestrian safety, I see no other way than to put out some public anouncement, and then start ticketing those who clearly can't follow some basic rules.

Hopefully as cyclists start to behalve more predictably and ride the way they are supposed to, there will be less hatred from motorists.

Happy riding,
André

I was born at Dominican Hospital in 1981, but really spent most of my time down there before I moved away in the south county. I lived in Watsonville for a while then moved to Aptos, where my parents still live.

UK tourists perhaps?

I think something like this is where we are heading--or at least should be heading. It's not the wild, wild west in the US anymore. We're all in this together. There is plenty in the media about alternative fuels; seems like alternative modes of transport should get more play, as well (of course, that's potentially dollar$ out of corporate pockets). One way to begin is to try to get some standards of conduct (probably not the correct phrase for it, but that should be the intent) put in place for all users of the public ways: peds, joggers, cyclists, power-assisted folks, motorcycles, cars and trucks. If all users are +/- on the same page perception-wise, then maybe the needed infrastructure changes might be easier to bring about.

Seems like the advocacy groups around here are more concerned with bike lanes and trails, and public parking for bikes, rather than actually getting people on similar wavelengths as to how everyone can get themselves around.

probably

https://ukpress.google.com/article/AL...d0nviUStTPsNEQ

Grandmother drives wrong way on M65

Terrified drivers swerved out of the way as an 81-year-old grandmother drove the wrong way down a motorway for 15 miles.

Martha Harwood became confused by the new layout of a roundabout and took the wrong turn, going the opposite way down the carriageway of the M65 in Lancashire.

Startled motorists swerved to avoid a crash as they saw the headlights of Ms Harwood's Suzuki Ignis coming towards them in the fast lane.