Turning to bikes for gas relief brings rise in accidents

[phantom power]

Motorcycles and motorized scooters have enjoyed a recent surge in popularity thanks to the energy crisis.

But the gas saving comes at a high price, safety experts said, because scooters and small motorcycles have drawn in many new riders that don’t have the safety consciousness of veteran cyclists.

http://www.daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=426029

[hlthe2b]

1. I have rarely ever ridden in any kind of traffic....

and, frankly, I don't know really how to.... I tried recently to review traffic laws for bikes, including where in Denver Metro bikes were allowed on sidewalks. Laws are jurisdictional, contradictory, and often simply lacking. I see cyclists doing everything imaginable, some very very dangerous. So, yes, I'd believe this. Denver has lots of bike paths, but commuting is quite a different issue, with many routes untravelable by bike.... I hope the pressure is building to change all this in our cities, making it easier to bike and walk...

[phantom power]

2. My understanding has always been that bikers obey the same traffic laws.

In other words, when you are biking on a road, you are expected to obey exactly the same rules as the cars you are sharing the road with. Right down to signaling turns, stopping at crosswalks, etc.

[hlthe2b]

3. Yes... but there are issues with multi-lane left turn lanes, parking

lanes,etc. To simply say one follows the same laws is in practical terms, likely very unsafe... It is my understanding those who commute in traffic have several strategies to avoid the car-phone spewing, mega behomoth SUV-driving distracted drivers... Practically speaking, that sometimes may equate to using sidewalks, where either it is allowed or not enforced....

High traffic commuting on a bike in urban areas strikes me as requiring a great deal more strategy to be both efficient, legal, and safe....

[phantom power]

4. Yes, it is unsafe...

however, the law is pretty clear.

Not too long ago I proposed my idea that maybe cyclists should be categorized as pedestrians, not vehicles. Not many people liked my idea, mostly on the grounds that they felt I underestimated the danger of cyclist-pedestrian collisions.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=162455&mesg_id=162467

[tinrobot]

5. That's part of the problem

Cities treating bikes like cars is the fundamental problem. Bikes are not cars.

Even if all the rules are obeyed, there's still a lot of danger when you mix bikes with cars. Any time a bike and a car mix it up, the cyclist loses. That's the number one reason why people don't ride bikes more often - they fear for their lives.

Cities really need to separate the bikes from the cars with networks of bike paths. It's the only way to make bike commuting safe enough to get lots of people on bikes and out of cars.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. That's great, if you're suicidal.

The simple fact is, when you are biking you are a pedestrian, as in "ped", pedalling, by foot. You go cruising down the road at 10mph, weighing in a 10 lbs over your body weight, surrounded by 1.5 ton vehicles going 45mph who don't even see you, and you will die.

It happens every day.

[stuntcat]

6. sidewalks..

I REALLY would love it if everyone biked, I swear, don't read me wrong.. but I'm getting so mad at all the people biking down the sidewalks practically running over me. Yesterday I was walking on a road that HAS A SWEET NEW BIKE LANE down either side of it and people were still using the sidewalk. I had to step into the grass a few times to let them by. Twice people on bikes have rushed up behind me and scared me so bad I screamed, once I lost it crying, that's how bad it scared me. The sidewalks are pretty busy around here and lots of the walkers aren't on the mental edge quite like I am.. so I know that no matter how many calls I make and letters I write this will just happen every time I'm out walking. I'm totally happy that more people are biking but I'm practically being run down almost every day.

I'm sorry for going on and on, I just have to let it out. I'm sure they'll start to notice our flashy new bike lanes soon.

[ladjf]

8. The percentages of deaths and injuries are meaningless without

a comparison of the increase in the number of riders. I seem to recall in an earlier article that the number of deaths and injuries were approximately in proportion to the increase in ridership.