As a kid I loved to ride my bike. It was my primary mode of transportation and it took me wherever I wanted to go. Riding bikes was a source of exercise, something we did with friends, but moreso, it was a symbol of pre-driving teen freedom.
Many a spring or summer day, or until the snow flew in the fall, my bike was very much a part of me. That is what kids did: ride to school or the park, ride to the store, cruise around the neighbourhood. Back then, in the late ’70s and early ’80s it seemed that most kids took to the streets. Helmets were not required but for the most part we were safe and rarely did I hear of accidents with vehicles. Most of my mishaps stemmed from pant legs getting caught in spokes or braking too abruptly when going down a steep hill.
Safety, as always, was taught in school and in local community groups like cubs, scouts and cadets. We were taught how to signal for appropriate turns, how to inspect our bikes for safe functioning and how to go with the flow of traffic. It was pretty basic stuff and not hard to learn or utilize in everyday riding. It made perfect sense.
Enough nostalgia. Let’s do the timewarp back to 2013 and allow me to share some recent observations as a driver, pedestrian and cyclist. As a driver I hear the ads reminding me to share the road. Yes, it is frustrating when I see a cyclist up ahead during morning rush hour. I don’t have much room to manoeuvre; the other cars won’t let me out of my lane to give the cyclist adequate space … my blood pressure rises. Then I remember that my children ride hither and yon and I would want drivers to accord them the same courtesy, so I make every reasonable effort to slow down and give extra room. I keep a vigilant eye but then there are those cyclists who fail to share the road with me.
Yield signs, stop signs, crosswalks signals, traffic lights … all apply to cyclists. There is no waiving of rules for you. You need to stop instead of drifting through the intersection. Twice this week, when I had the clear right of way and proceeded through an intersection, I had to yield midway to cyclists who essentially ran red lights. These were not little kids rather; they were adults. Obviously, they were oblivious to the rules of the road. As a cyclist at an intersection the pedestrian rules only apply to you if you get off the bike and walk it across the street. While out walking, I have observed several near misses of cyclists failing to observe the rules and in doing so have put vehicle drivers into a dangerous situation.
Vehicles are larger, heavy, have momentum and take a while to stop. If we are demanding that drivers take more precautions to proactively share the road, and we realize that we need to improve in this regard, then cyclists need to do the same! Cyclists must use proper hand signals for turns, not weave between traffic and also extend the same courtesy expected from motor traffic to pedestrians. There are many times when I, as a pedestrian, have been forced to leave the sidewalk because a cyclist did not yield the right of way. A bell or other verbal signal goes a long way.
We all need to share the road. We all need to be responsible and learn the rules of the road. There are many of us who enjoy all three activities: driving, walking and cycling. Yet, somehow, we forget about the rights of the other two entities when engaged in the third. Safety isn’t just thinking about me, it means I must think of you. I hope you respond in kind. Happy trails!
Tim Cusack is an educator, entertainer and sailor; proud to call St. Albert home.
