Over the couple of weeks, I've been doing a lot of thinking about cyclists and their obligations to follow the rules of the road. One of the reasons why I do a lot of thinking about things like that is my role in leading one of the St. Louis area's largest group rides, the Tour de Stooges, and other smaller rides for the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society.
Here's what got me thinking:Gene reported a while back that Cascade Bicycle Club Executive Director Chuck Ayers said one of the biggest complaints from motorists, staff and other cyclists during STP has been about participants who don't follow the rules of the road. To curb the problems, the club had patrols looking for cyclists disobeying the rules of the road and issuing $25 "tickets" with the money going to the group's education foundation.
- A post over on Gene Bisbee's BikingBis blog about the Cascade Bicycle Club issuing "traffic tickets" to participants on the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic on July 12-13.
- The riding habits of some cyclists on Tour de Donut in Staunton, Ill., on July 12.
- An article by Dean Schott of the League of Illinois Bicyclists about the recent rise in bicycle fatalities in the state.
- And, finally, an article at MSNBC titled "Deadly Tension on the Roads: Cars vs. Bikes."
"Those tickets don't carry the force of law, of course," Gene wrote. "They do imply, however, that your peers on the bike ride think you're riding like a jerk and you need to pay attention."
The Cascade Bicycle Club also has been pushing a "Single File Is Safer" program this year. The club contends riding single file ultimately is better for cyclists and motorists because it means cyclists don't have to go three or more abreast to pass slower riders and motorists can more easily pass a single-file line of cyclists than groups of two or more abreast.
That leads to what I saw on the Tour de Donut. The Tour de Donut is a unique situation because of the mass start. Cyclists receive a police escort through Staunton at the start of the race, but the problems become evident when they turn off Illinois Route 4 onto Renken Road toward Prairietown, the first donut stop.
Groups of three to five cyclists often take up the entire lane, forcing faster cyclists to cross the yellow line to get around them. Even when a slower cyclist is riding alone, he or she often takes the middle of the lane, making it difficult for people to pass him or her.
Before the start, I heard Boeing Employee's Bicycle Club President Dave Sweeney try to tell riders before the start of the ride that the roads beyond Staunton were not closed to motorists, but I don't know how many people actually heard him.
Most of the local motorists know about the Tour de Donut and adjust their driving with the realization there are going to be lots of cyclists on the road that day. Also, the club and its volunteers from the Staunton area do a great job of monitoring the key intersections. Still, I wonder if we can make things a bit safer for everyone by following the rules of the road and keeping in mind it is illegal to ride more than two abreast on nearly all Illinois roads.
That leads us to the recent League of Illinois Bicyclists article. Here how it starts out:The headlines have not been good for bicyclists this spring in Illinois. The recent rash of bicycle fatalities has us all alarmed about our safety on the roads.Finally, the MSNBC story talks about how bicycling has become a more popular mode of transportation because of high gasoline prices. Here's a brief excerpt from that story:
My words of advice for bicyclists are twofold: Obey the traffic laws and expect the unexpected from motorists.
Some of us consider stop signs and traffic lights nuisances which can be ignored. Besides it being the law, bicyclists should stop at signs so that they can see oncoming traffic and the traffic can see us before proceeding safely through an intersection. ...
When riding in groups, bicyclists should not ride three or more abreast, blocking traffic, which can fuel the road rage of motorists. In heavy traffic, cyclists should ride in single file to let motorists pass safely and avoid bottlenecks.Experts welcome the trend for all of the reasons you might expect: Transportation planners like that fewer cars clog the nations highways. Environmental activists like that fewer tons of greenhouse emissions are pumped into the atmosphere every rush hour. Doctors like to see more people pedaling off more pounds. But in the months since motorists began pedaling in droves, it has become clear that all those cyclists on the streets pose a significant problem: all those cyclists on the streets.But the article goes on to say that bicycle accidents are on the rise. For example, New Jersey reported 12 bicycle fatalities in all of 2007. So far this year, that state has had 11 bicycle deaths.
I believe its definitely going to cause some problems, because people dont know how to share the road with cyclists, said Kirk Hendricks, director of advocacy for the group Idaho Cycling Enthusiasts. [Drivers] need to know that we have as much right as an automobile even though were not as big.
Pam Fischer, director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, told MSNBC "in almost every case, the bicycle was doing something that put them at significant risk.
As I've said before, and I'll say it again, cyclists and motorists share equal responsibility for knowing the rules of the road. Although I try to educate cyclists of the rules of the road on the Tour de Stooges map, I often wonder how I and the rest of the cycling community can do a better job of getting the word out.
For those of you who live in Illinois and Missouri, here's a couple of resources:
- League of Illinois Bicyclists' Illinois Bicycle Laws Card (PDF file)
- St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation
Labels: advocacy, League of Illinois Bicyclists, safety, Tour de Donut
Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:37 PM
Find out about the latest cycling news here!
Bicycle racing feeds
» Plans for 2012 VeloPark unveiled
09/08/08 08:28 from BBC Sport | Other Sports | Cycling | World Edition
» Leaders Jerseys: Tour of Missouri - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
09/08/08 05:12 from Tour of Missouri - Google News
» Sport and spectacle - St. Joseph News-Press
09/08/08 05:05 from Tour of Missouri - Google News
» Tour of Missouri champion Hincapie moves on past Discovery Channel - Kansas City Star
09/08/08 04:51 from Tour of Missouri - Google News
» Tour of Missouri kicks off today - Kansas City Star
09/08/08 04:29 from Tour of Missouri - Google News
» 2008 Vuelta a España: Live Updates - Stage 8
09/08/08 03:04 from The Journal of Competitive Cycling -
» Tour of Missouri coming to Jefferson City on Friday - Jefferson City News Tribune
09/07/08 22:41 from Tour of Missouri - Google News
» Petacchi rockets to victory as British tour kicks off
09/07/08 22:18 from The Journal of Competitive Cycling -
» Bradley Wiggins suffers from Olympic hangover on first stage of ... - Telegraph.co.uk
09/07/08 20:15 from Tour of Missouri - Google News
» Metlushenko sprints to win in Univest Criterium of Doylestown
09/07/08 19:15 from The Journal of Competitive Cycling -
» Petacchi claims London stage win
09/07/08 17:59 from BBC Sport | Other Sports | Cycling | World Edition
» Hayles impresses; Petacchi in yellow
09/07/08 17:27 from Yahoo! Sport - Cycling
» Moncoutie solos to Vuelta stage win, Leipheimer regains overall lead
09/07/08 16:23 from The Journal of Competitive Cycling -
» Tour of Britain stage one photos
09/07/08 16:11 from BBC Sport | Other Sports | Cycling | World Edition
» Moncoutie wins as Levi takes gold
09/07/08 16:03 from Yahoo! Sport - Cycling
» McEwen wins Vattenfall Cyclassic
09/07/08 15:15 from Yahoo! Sport - Cycling
» McEwen leads Australia to Vattenfall Cyclassic treble (Reuters)
09/07/08 14:59 from Yahoo! Sports - Cycling News
» Vattenfall Cyclassics result (Reuters)
09/07/08 14:51 from Yahoo! Sports - Cycling News
» McEwen wins in Hamburg
09/07/08 14:41 from The Journal of Competitive Cycling -
» Tour rolls into town Tuesday - News-Leader.com
09/07/08 08:19 from Tour of Missouri - Google News
» Lance Armstrongâs sex boast - NZ City
09/08/08 08:04 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Tour of Missouri champion Hincapie moves on past Discovery Channel - Kansas City Star
09/08/08 04:51 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Tour of Missouri champion Hincapie moves on past Discovery Channel - Kansas City Star
09/08/08 04:51 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» A Life-Cycle of His Own - Barron's
09/08/08 04:13 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Lance Armstrong Dishes on Life, Sex, Lover-Boy Reputation - TheImproper.com
09/07/08 14:24 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Armstrong's mom offers hope to cancer patients while visiting ... - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
09/07/08 07:08 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Linda Armstrong Kelly brings her story to Rochester - News 10NBC
09/07/08 02:06 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Celebs rallying for Stand Up to Cancer telethon - Times-West Virginian
09/06/08 22:43 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» What the Next President Can Do - Newsweek
09/06/08 19:09 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Christina Applegate in telethon for cancer research - Washington Post
09/06/08 17:21 from Lance Armstrong - Google News
» Hearing to be held Sept 30th about removal of Booneville MKT Bridge
09/07/08 12:11 from BicycleNews-MoBikeFed
» Freewheelin Bicycle-Sharing Project a Big Hit at Democratic, Republican National Conventions
09/05/08 20:27 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Ecocabs Are a New Twist on Bicycle Rickshaws
09/05/08 20:23 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Bike ride to work often best part of the day
09/05/08 20:19 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» BBC radio on: KCMO as one of the least bicycle friendly cities the U.S.--but changing
09/05/08 05:54 from BicycleNews-MoBikeFed
» Missouri ranks 26th in bicycle friendliness
09/05/08 05:44 from BicycleNews-MoBikeFed
» The Beauty of Bikes -- Even Ugly Ones
09/04/08 19:40 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» No One Rides for Free
09/04/08 19:36 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Urban Expeditions can make you a STAR
09/04/08 01:27 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Road rules, bicycle style
09/03/08 17:59 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Letter: Motorists must respect cyclists' right to the road
09/03/08 17:56 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Time to make it safer for bicycle commuters
09/03/08 17:54 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» $2 million settlement in death of bicyclist John Triggs
09/03/08 07:14 from BicycleNews-MoBikeFed
» U.S. left in dust by global cycle boom
09/02/08 17:17 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Cycling: Beware the door prize
09/02/08 17:13 from C.I.C.L.E. ::
» Photographing Abandoned Bicycles for Posterity
09/07/08 22:43 from The Cycling Dude
» Monkey Electric Alleycat detours
09/07/08 21:25 from Cyclelicious
» The MONKEY ELECTRIC (virtual) ALLEYCAT HAS STARTED
09/06/08 19:39 from Cyclelicious
» More Eurobike photos -- parts and stuff
09/06/08 06:36 from Cyclelicious
» The Fat Cyclist Explains How to Talk to Non-Cyclists
09/06/08 01:59 from The Cycling Dude
» San Francisco foot fetish bicycle blog
09/05/08 18:55 from Cyclelicious
» Eurobike 2009 photos
09/05/08 17:37 from Cyclelicious
» Chafed and sunburned
09/05/08 12:00 from Cyclelicious
» Man bites dog.
09/05/08 06:10 from Cyclelicious
» Rain cover bicycle rack
09/05/08 00:30 from Cyclelicious
» Ian Hibell RIP
09/04/08 22:13 from Cyclelicious
» How NOT to introduce your sons to mountain biking
09/04/08 19:45 from Cyclelicious
» Drill, baby, drill
09/04/08 17:45 from Cyclelicious
» Pearl Izumi ad
09/04/08 16:42 from Cyclelicious
» Funding your school bicycle project
09/03/08 22:56 from Cyclelicious
» Geoff crushed Wasatch 100!
09/07/08 08:17 from Up in Alaska
» Game Day
09/06/08 23:11 from Dan On Bike
» Ahhhhh...........
09/06/08 21:17 from Bike riding donut guy
» Dead end
09/06/08 07:35 from Up in Alaska
» My Sarah Palin experiences
09/05/08 18:26 from Up in Alaska
» Tasty Thursday
09/05/08 07:33 from Up in Alaska
» Then and now
09/04/08 16:41 from Up in Alaska
» In defense of Wal-Mart bikes......
09/04/08 09:45 from Bike riding donut guy
» 1977
09/03/08 09:53 from Bike riding donut guy
» Transitions
09/03/08 05:35 from Up in Alaska
» Normal Day
09/03/08 02:01 from Dan On Bike
» Lost on Blackerby Ridge
09/01/08 07:52 from Up in Alaska
» New Roads
09/01/08 01:16 from Dan On Bike
» YouTube - The Talking Goat
08/31/08 22:31 from Bike riding donut guy
» Some Christians are jackasses
08/31/08 22:17 from Bike riding donut guy
Cycling blogs
Other blogs of note
Archives