A Plea*

I need to get something off my chest.

People, we need to do better watching out for each other on the highways and byways, and I mean motorists and bikers equally.

This summer, two of my friends were struck by cars while on their bikes. One biker sustained pretty serious injuries, and the other had insult added to injury: a dog bit him. A dog in the car that struck him.

It’s easy to zone out, for both drivers and bikers. I know that. But we’ve got to try harder.

Bikers, obey the rules of the road. Stop at lights and signs. Stay as far over to the right as you can. Use hand signals. Ride single file. Remember that you are extremely vulnerable on that bike.

Drivers, remember that even in the smallest of vehicles, you are very large and can kill a person on a bike. Communicate. Be nice. In CT, it is the law that you give a 3 foot berth to bikers. Expect the biker to not obey the stop signs (I know, it stinks, but it happens, and expecting it may save a life). Realize that the biker may be away from the road’s edge because there is debris that would flip her bike on the edge of the road. Understand that bikers riding abreast (while wrong), may have had the road to themselves for the last 20 minutes and are trying to get into single file.

I’ve been riding longer rides in my attempt to build up to 100 miles. On Sunday, at mile 22 of a 30 mile bike path ride, a group of bikers who were not obeying the rules of the bike path (stay right, ride single file) caused me to crash. I can’t believe that I have no broken bones. I’m bruised and scraped. Most of all, though, I’m sad. The person responsible for the accident didn’t even come back to make sure I was okay. That hurts far more than the three-inch-long gouge on my elbow.

So, please. Let’s all just try a little harder to watch out for each other.

*I know that my readers are considerate, rule-abiding, lovely humans. Thank you for that!

10 thoughts on “A Plea*”

  1. I am so glad to hear that you are relatively okay – such a crash could have been so much worse!

    I agree with you so very much, and I frequently feel like my heart is in my throat when I see cyclists riding around this college town. As a cyclist myself I don’t ride near the university in September because the student drivers are so oblivious.

    Thank you for reminding us to be patient, understanding, and defensive drivers. And I always try to remember that as a cyclist I need to communicate with the drivers around me as much as possible. (While trying not to overuse a certain digit).

  2. I used to be a bicyclist, but I haven’t ridden in years. I would love to see some education for bicyclists. Too many of them ride with no regard for the traffic laws.

  3. Oh geez, I’m so sorry that you crashed and got hurt! You would think that other riders would be more considerate and I’m frankly shocked that no one came to check on you. I hope you weren’t alone.

    1. Thanks, Carole. Neal was with me, and other riders (not from the group that caused the accident) stopped to offer phones/water.

  4. Ugh – so sorry that you were hurt! I had both motorist and bicycle experiences this week-end. You are right, we all need to be a little more considerate! Wishing you a speedy and scarless recovery!

  5. I so agree. I’m sorry you got hurt and that the other bikers were so out of it. We have the same problem here and I often will slow down and try to chat at the bikers who are doing this. I also try to stay very aware when I’m in a car (which isn’t always easy). This is a good reminder though.

  6. Younger Son is a bicyclist, even commuting all through a Minneapolis winter. He got clipped this summer, car hit his back wheel and sent him flying. He is the most safety conscious biker around — helmet, lights and reflective gear EVERYWHERE — so I know it wasn’t his fault. Ambulance and fire truck/EMTs came and checked him out, nothing serious. He had to go to the ER a couple days later for pain meds but the x-ray showed nothing broken.

    Then a couple weeks ago as I was waiting to turn at a stoplight in downtown Minneapolis, a car flew past me, ran the red light, nearly getting t-boned in the process… and hit a bicyclist crossing the street in the crosswalk. I didn’t see the actual impact, just her body flying into the air and bouncing down the back of the car. Several other pedestrians and I gathered around the injured woman to calm her and keep her still until the ambulance/EMTs arrived, which was only about 2 minutes — it happened about 2 blocks from Hennepin County Medical Center. I was shaky all the way home just from seeing it. And you can bet I am driving more cautiously myself ever since.

    It makes me happy to see more and more people riding bicycles but it is so, so dangerous in the US. Our roads are not set up for bicycles. Minneapolis was named the most bike-friendly city in the US last year and even there it is dangerous, as mentioned above.

    Glad you were not injured more seriously. Take care of yourself.

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