Safety ideas for sharing road

For many years, I biked to work in midtown Manhattan (as in New York City, not the "Little Apple"). During my years of commuter biking in the '70s and '80s, I quickly learned that the greatest car hazard wasn't taxis, trucks or buses, but honkers.

I can't tell you how many times a well-meaning - I hope - driver honked just as he or she was about to pass me. Please, I'm surrounded by traffic. I know you're there! The sudden toot's most likely effect was for me to jerk my wheel, which could only mean veering toward parked cars to my right or moving traffic to my left.

The deaths of Larry and Sierra Gaunt were a horrible tragedy. But I'm certain Mr. Johnson didn't mean to hit those bikers. And, as others have said, that memory is a sentence he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

Ann Arnott
Lenexa

From 1957 through 1972, I rode a bike from Fort Thomas, Ky., to uptown Cincinnati every day, rain or shine. After all my bike-riding experience, it is my firm contention that bicycle traffic should face oncoming traffic, the same as pedestrians.

I tried it both ways. When the bicyclist faces traffic, he can see dangerous situations ahead and react accordingly, even stopping and moving off the road if necessary. Moving the same direction as cars is dangerous for the same reason that applies to pedestrians: The biker does not see the cars coming from behind.

A friend of mine, riding a bike the same direction as cars, was so startled by the closeness of a car coming abreast of him from behind that he overreacted and steered off the road and was seriously hurt. Yes, he was wearing a helmet, but that did not prevent a broken collarbone and dislocated elbow.

The law should be changed to accommodate bicyclists facing the traffic when riding.

Glenn Robinson
Lee's Summit

Rick Mounkes' letter, "Bicycles will always lose" (7/27) had a great suggestion: no shoulder on the road, no bikes. Maybe the cities could put up signs on some of the more heavily traveled streets or secondary highways to prohibit bicyclists.

Sometimes you just have to save people from their own stupidity. After all, what kind of knucklehead rides his bike on Noland Road between 40 and 350 highways? Or how about Lee's Summit Road from 40 Highway to Colbern Road?

Both are narrow, winding roads with minimal or no shoulders, and I believe both are marked as a "no passing" zone the full length. I've seen more than a couple of riders tempting fate on these two roads.

If it's not safe to pass another car, then how dangerous is it to try to avoid a cyclist?

Come on bikers, use a little common sense.

Shaun Lee
Lee's Summit

Comments

[Sammy]

People are Dumb - I didn't realize the biker you saw wrote a letter to the editor.

[Stifled Freedom]

"And you've never seen a motorist operate his vehicle stupidly?"

Yes, I have, but they aren't writting letters to the editor and complaining about safety.

[solomon]

If you want to ride a bike to work move to China.

Just filling in for BuddyT this afternoon, he's at his Somalian granddaughters circumcision.

[Sammy]

People are Dumb - And you've never seen a motorist operate his vehicle stupidly? Yes, there are stupid people on bikes and in cars. I don't punish all drivers for the sins of a few.

Mr. Robinson - The problems I see with riding into oncoming traffic is that both riders and motorists have less time to react and it creates more dangerous situations at intersections (cars coming out of driveways not seeing cyclists, cars making left hand turns, etc). Following with traffic relies on the protocols most familiar to all vehicle operators.

Ms. Arnott - Perhaps you are right about Mr. Johnson. That doesn't obviate anyone from operating their vehicles responsibly. When you see a cyclist, a runner, a slow moving vehicle, a person having car problems or an officer of the law on the road or roadside in front of you, you may not like it, but you should take it upon yourself to be safe.

[GCYL]

“Decide if you want to be a car or a pedestrian and be consistent at it.” - People are Dumb

I have no doubt that such behavior from a cyclist would never be tolerated in a wimpy country like, oh, Denmark.

A large part of our problem with this issue is the typical American attitude: be it displayed in a car, on a bike or while walking near a road.

[Stifled Freedom]

The problem is bikers not consistently behaving as automobiles while on the road.

Yesterday, I saw a biker taking up a lane of traffic on 75th street....slowing everyone down. Then suddenly, without any hand signaling, he turned left across a double yellow line, crossed two lanes of traffic approaching from the opposite direction and barrelled right up on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street.

Decide if you want to be a car or a pedestrian and be consistent at it.