April 3, 2003

More on bicycle and automobile safety habits

Bart J. Vanden Plas is correct that passing in the travel lane is very dangerous, especially for the bicycle rider. The canyon bridge is particularly dangerous for bicycle riders. Both the walkway and the travel lanes are sanded in case of ice. For bicycles, which have so little surface area between tires and ground, the sand is almost as slippery as ice. Some bicycle riders use the travel lanes; going north (down hill), their lives are in danger. If they ride fast, they risk a crash or wipeout after the bridge (their stopping distance is far longer than most people realize). If they ride slow, they risk being passed by motor vehicles traveling much too close and much too fast. In the event of an accident here, a bicycle rider could go over the rail.

When I drive over the bridge behind a bicycle, I try to protect the rider by slowing down and hanging back. This is a delicate business. If I get too close, the rider will try to go too fast and I will not have room to stop in time if the rider wipes out. If I hang back too far, other drivers will try to cut in front of me and I know from bitter experience that some drivers who do this will fail to see the bicycle.

--Una Smith