Letter to the Editor
Drivers beware
Published Saturday, April 12, 2008
April 10, 2008
To the editor:
It’s springtime. That means motorcycle and bicycle riders will be using the roads with increased frequency. After a winter of mostly cars and trucks, drivers aren’t used to looking for motorcycles and bicycles so please pay attention and be careful.
Community Discussion
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Yes, people in cars and trucks should absolutely be aware of their surroundings, including bikes and motorcycles. However, I'd like to remind the bicyclists and motorcyclists to be aware of their surroundings as well. Be cognizant - I'll feel horrible and guilty if I hit you, but my emotions probably won't equal what you are feeling. Let's all pay attention and be careful.
Yes, let's please be careful out there! My brother got hit innocently on his bike at this time of year, he's okay, but the driver was not paying attention! As the seasons change, we need to change our driving habits as well!
Cyclists: Lights are good. We have a very long dusk right now, and bicycles without lights are hard to see at dusk. Also, a lot of people seem to opt for a taillight with no headlight. You might not need a headlight to see, but having one really helps drivers to see you. The new LED headlights are really good.
Most people don't need to hear this, but maybe I'll reach at least one offender: For the love of God, don't ride your bike on the left side of the road. It's dangerous and illegal. You might feel safer because you can see the cars coming at you, but you're not safer, and you're making the road less safe for everyone else, too. I see this on the UAF campus more than anyplace else.
too bad that when the weather is nice more people here in Fairbanks aren't able to use bicycles. there might be less traffic, a little less demand for gasoline and the good cardio exercise could help a few out-of-shape people that have difficulty walking and jogging to shed some weight and strengthen their heart.
There are many bike paths around town. I am all about getting on a bike and going anywhere you want, but I am going to bring this up early this year: I have to have a front and rear license plate, turn signals that are used as far back as 150 feet from where I turn, headlights, seatbelts, and OOHHH insurance! I believe, no matter what is remarked back to me, that unless a bike has all of those things, they need to stick to the bike paths and stay off the left and right side of the road. I see bike riders go over the speed limit in some speed zones and it is so easy for them just to pull of the road and leave once they have caused a problem for drivers without having a license plate to identify who they are, which is a double standard that needs to be addressed. I want to see insurance for bikes that are on the road, lights, signals and plates. Tax that.
Safety requires that we ALL respect the needs of others on the roads and on the trails. Self-righteous disregard is popular among all user groups, but it's hard to take comfort in one's moral superiority when one is lying in a hospital bed with tubes stuck in every bodiy orifice.
Let's all be careful out here, so we can all go home to grouse about how rude the "other guys" are.
J. B. your opinion is a good one. You left out helmets. Doesn't your home/owners insurance cover a bicyclist from your residence - or maybe it is offered?
Seems as though there are a lot of riders that don't relize the SIZE difference between an automobile and a bicycle.
The problem is in the lower 48 also. What's really scary is the laws for the bicyclist from town to town varies - so don't take anything for granted until YOU have checked the laws in your area. You may be surprised.
And a reminder to groups of bicyclists...RIDE SINGLE FILE. It is annoying and illegal to block traffic with 2,3,4...bicyclists spanned across the lane.
I see this every summer on Ballain and on Goldstream Rds. They are adults, too! I could understand it if they were kids that forget that rules apply to them.
DVD, for someone who does'nt like other people telling you what you can and cant do, you sure like doing it to others!!! Funny stuff!
YouMustBConfused
If it ain't got a motor it don't belong on the roadways. STAY OFF!!!!
krazymandan...being wrong does'nt make you stupid it just makes you appear that way.
YouMustBConfused
PS Take some time and read road laws...you will find you are wrong.
Telling cyclists to stay off the road is like like telling someone that they can't get a haircut. It's absurd. The law allows it. Cyclists can ride in the road. Let's move on.
The original letter was a friendly reminder that we all need to be careful, for everyone's safety. There's no reason for this to be combative. For the next few months, you will see bicyclists doing things that are dangerous and illegal. I am a cyclist and a guy who drives for a living, so it bothers me as much as it bothers anyone. But that kind of behavior does not reflect on all cyclists, just as bad drivers do not reflect on all drivers. If someone in a car changes lanes without signaling, rolls a stop, fails to turn into the first available lane, speeds, or whatever, sensible drivers shrug (or swear) and go on with their days. It's a law enforcement issue, and not something that ordinary people can or should deal with. Please try to take the same attitude towards law-breaking cyclists.
If gas prices have you thinking about getting a bike and riding to work, I hope that you'll go ahead and do it. Fairbanks is a great place to ride (in the summer), and most drivers are very considerate.
Who has heard of what they call "Defensive Driving"? Be aware of what is happening all around you! It applies in the winter and the summer.
Cell phones appear to be a major distraction for some. Out of stater's who don't know how to adjust to the different driving conditions we often face are another.
Stupid, Cocky youngsters who defy roadway laws sometimes become roadkill. Placing the driver in a position of a Manslaughter charge.
We should all be aware and focus when behind the wheel. Space is a good thing, give yourself enough. Nobody should be in such a hurry as to lose their awareness of their surroundings.
As the old saying goes, "No matter where your at, there you are".
I'm buying a new bike this weekend - it's 12 miles home to work - highways and back roads, I'd planned on taking as many back roads as possible but I have to ride next to the highway to get home. I already have the reflective tape and lights. Any advice on how to keep myself more visible to drivers would be helpful...
I can not wait till there is no more oil for any machine to function! Mash up the buildings, smash up the roads, and do away with our dependence on ancient photosythesis.
Ljc120802.
I pass a few bikers every morning on my way to work at 5:30am. They have a small flashing red light on their backpacks.
I can see them for some distance, and go out of my way to make sure that I don't place them in a traffic hazard with other drivers.
Way to Go!
don't ride your bikes on philips field road. the corners are narrow enough without trying to avoid hitting a guy on a bike and the car in the other lane. because then drivers get caught behind a biker going maybe 15 mph in a 40 mph zone. it's irritating. use the bike paths people. why do you think it's called that?
ndnchic.
You must have a silver spoon in your mouth. Or you can't get your fat butt on a bike. The cost of fuel makes it a necessity for some. The state does not plow the bike paths until later usually never, wait till breakup, if you have a snivel contact the city.
Your attitude is get out of my way, I'm in a hurry, or I'll run you over. Pathetic.
You know what is hard about biking in Fairbanks? All the gravel from the previous winter. Makes roller skating hard too. Braking to a stop on the gravel has me skidding to a stop. I need a big tricycle!
try stopping on that gravel with rollerblades, ouch!
Echo- your right! Dont forget the brain bucket!
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ndnchic:
I drive back and forth on Phillips Field Road for work. It is not an ideal road for cycling because of the bends and the absence of a shoulder. There is one cyclist in particular who drives me mad because he always wears dark clothes and has no lights or reflectors of any kind, and he rides like that in the dark. That said, it's legal to ride there, and if it's not safe to pass a cyclist, you just have to slow down and wait until it is safe. That never takes more than a few seconds on Phillips Field.
Ljc: Don't light yourself up like a Christmas tree. Every now and then I see a cyclist with lots of reflectors and multiple flashing lights, and it's actually very distracting to me as a driver. A red light in back (aimed properly) and a headlight in front should be enough. If your bike has reflectors on the pedals, those are very visible as well. Good luck!
coldyou...that was funny...well back in the 50's...no, it just was not funny. Saying something stupid, doesnt make you stupid...it just makes you look stupid. Your not stupid are you?
YouMustBConfused
P.S. I really dont care what you look like, all I see is stupid words.
AHAHAHAHAHA!!!! you guys...really make me laugh. so serious and intellectual on these comments. yes. i am pathetic. because some biker caused me to be two minutes late to walmart. ahh, the gas prices. blame everything on that. or global warming. or wait, i know..President Bush. IMPEACH! IMPEACH!
silver spoon? nooo....more like one of those tiny plastic spoons you get when you taste-test ice cream. when you have a typical day like me (stay-at-home mom with five kids) and i'm driving down the road with crying/yelling/fighting all the way to pick up my husband, the last thing i want to do is get stuck behind a biker during "fairbanks" rush hour. (and please don't suggest car-pooling, that is not an option for us)
and yes, i can get this "fat butt" on a bike. but where, pray tell, would i put my kiddies? ahh, find a babysitter. maybe you, mr. "realdeal" would like to offer your services?
in my previous post i was not being sarcastic. just trying to make a little point. right now, i am just tired and i just have to laugh. seriously, like i said before, take a shot or get laid, you all get into these comment thingys too much.
YMBC - You never cease to entertain me with your wit and advancement of conversation. It's always so thought-provoking. Thanks!
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ndnchic-
i have seen some cyclists that have a 'pull-behind" and they have their kids riding in there with their helmets on.
blownfuse- spoken like a hopelessly single person, well done!
DVD..."However, I'd like to remind the bicyclists and motorcyclists to be aware of their surroundings as well. Be cognizant - I'll feel horrible and guilty if I hit you, but my emotions probably won't equal what you are feeling."
This is golden...I just can’t match that kind of condescension and false concern for your fellow man. Your sarcasm drips with loathing and false concern. Thanks for starting out the discussion with such thinly veiled sarcasm and wit.
YouMustBConfused
So are you saying that if we were in the same room we would be introduced, "Pot, meet kettle"...LOL
YMBC - The sarcasm you read into my words was absolutely present in the second comment, but to see it in my first shows clearly how you view the world. Bummer.
DVD, if you dont see that you are lecturing with the words..."However" then Yes, my world is unlike your. It is funny, I dont feel Bummed? YouMustBConfused
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As a cyclist, I would like to thank Mr. Griffin for this timely reminder. As a driver, I would like to ask my fellow cyclists to obey the laws. I've nearly hit a few riders over the years because they were running lights, suddenly crossing streets, or riding against traffic.
Ljc120802: Many of the new LED headlights come with a strobe feature. This is very useful in dusk conditions when you don't need a headlight to see, but drivers need to see you. It makes you far more noticeable. Good thing for commuters to have, particularly in fall and spring.
Realdeal: Last summer a cyclist was struck and killed at the intersection of Geist and University. He was breaking the law, crossing against the light. The driver was not charged. I know of other fatal accidents where the cyclist was at fault and the driver was not cited. This is generally the case to my knowledge. The driver should only get a manslaughter charge if he/she has violated traffic laws or driven negligently.
Cyclists: If your reckless riding causes you to get hit and/or killed, someone else who may not be at fault in any way will go through the rest of their life with the burden of that accident. If you don't care about your own safety, that's one thing, but consider your impact on others. The same goes for drivers who harass cyclists, and I know from experience that there are quite a few of you out there.
jb-
yes, hoplessly single; thank God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nonpartisan: I agree that many cyclists ride recklessly (or just cluelessly), and I do wish that the police would cite some of the more obvious violations once in a while.
Regarding the death on University and Geist. I don't think that it's safe to assume that he really was crossing against the light. It would be easy to get nailed there by someone turning right on red, and the driver was young and inexperienced. I know that the police determined that he was crossing against the light, but I had an experience last year that causes me to doubt that finding.
I called 911 after coming across the scene of an accident that had just happened. The car, bike, and victim were all still in place, so it was easy to see that the car had started pulling out of a driveway in front of the cyclist, who crashed into the passenger side of the car. Clearly, that was the driver's fault. In the police blotter, though, the report stated that the cyclist had failed to yield to the driver. The driver did not have the right of way.
Of course, the victim at University and Geist may well have been at fault. I'd like to know which lane he was in when he got hit.
Unfortunately, police bias against cyclists is common all over the country. Here's some interesting reading, from Bob Mionske's legal column in Velonews:
http://velonews.com/article/13637
I don't think there's any ill intent on the part of the police officers, just an entrenched mentality that sees cyclists as intruders on the roadways and assumes that they are at fault when there is an accident. Hopefully discussions like these will help to raise awareness of that problem.
ouMustBConfused 4/12/2008, 11:17 a.m.
krazymandan...being wrong does'nt make you stupid it just makes you appear that way.
YouMustBConfused
PS Take some time and read road laws...you will find you are wrong.
LInc Qimiq agree with u
u must b confused well yea u r confused and a word from the wise watch for all the drunk drivers this summar!!!
Well LJC, I guess we live in a "Rat Race", You sounded responsible enough to ask for what consideration a driver looks for. I Guess some have suggested don't light yourself up like a Christmas tree. This was not my suggestion. A small flashing intermittent red strobe works well, and is not distracting. But you still better watch out for the "Rats" and psychotic soccer moms in a hurry. Good Luck.
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