This post doesn't actually have anything to do with school - or formal education for that matter. But I feel it captures the essence of the question I wish to pose. I think education is key for making cycling safer - safer for cyclists AND drivers. I have read numerous blog posts, essays, etc. that claim that roughly half of bike-car collisions are the cyclist's fault:In his 2004 book The Art of Urban Cycling, Robert Hurst cites evidence that as many as half of car-bike crashes are the cyclist's fault: the cyclist ran a stop sign, made an illegal turn, rode against traffic, or otherwise broke the law.And that does not surprise me. While I feel that safe cycling depends on more bikes sharing roads with cars and therefore exposing auto drivers to more cyclists - it also requires that the cyclists know what they are doing. The cyclists themselves have to know how to behave appropriately on the road and not take for granted the privilege of sharing the road.
But one thing that I have noticed, and I assume is similar in other major metropolitan areas: a vast number of cyclists are not the kind of people who are reading blogs like this, or bikecommuters.com, or cicle.org. On any given day, I pass 20-25 cyclists in the 17 miles of biking I do to and from work. Of those, maybe 4 or 5 are what we think of when we hear the term "bike commuters." This term implies a middle-class or above individual who has made a willing choice to drive less and bike more.
But what about those that don't really have a choice - but instead are forced into biking as the only way to get to and from where they need to be due to socio-economic status? These individuals do not necessarily spend much time on the internet - if they even have regular internet access at all! My experience witnessing individuals like this is that they also do not have a very good idea or a desire to be an "upstanding cyclist." I routinely encounter them riding on the same side of the road as me, but going the opposite direction; swerving all over the road and showing complete disregard for others around them; crossing intersections while their direction has a red light; crossing in the middle of the street during times of high traffic.
These individuals rely on their bikes for transport much more than the general population - and I would assume are the victims of bike-car crashes more often than the "wealthy" bike commuters. I think an improvement in the education of this group would show an exponentially greater impact in safe cycling than educating middle-classers.
But how do we do that?
6 comments:
I keep trying to come up with a good answer to the same questions. It seems to me like a lot of biking skills are taught through families--I grew up riding a bike in an urban area, and learned the rules of the road from my father well before I had any interest in driving a car. I remember a few childhood bike rides quite vividly, especially one where my father was quite aghast at my friend's bike-riding habits and ended up lecturing her quite firmly about how to ride her bike.
In part, it seems like voluntary measures like hosting workshops would help, but I've always idly wondered what would happen if we required that cyclists get licensed in a process similar to how drivers are licensed (with a different set of age restrictions). I doubt such a system would ever get implemented, but it would reinforce the fact that cyclists are held to the same traffic laws as cars; those laws just aren't enforced to the same extent as they are for cars, probably because usually bicyclists endanger themselves, not other people.
While I would hate to see more headaches at the local DMV for bicycle permits and government oversight, I do wish there were a way to require people to do a course or something in bicycle riding (licensing would certainly be an option but I don't know how to go about it efficiently).
I frequently see the same thing. I would also love to see driver refresher courses every five to seven years that deal with issues prevalent in that particular area- drivers of all vehicles (that would include cyclists). Failure to successfully complete the one-afternoon course would cause a temporary suspension of their license. It would also be a way to test older drivers for physical and mental impairments that come with age.
ahem. Change the opening sentence of the second paragraph to, "I frequently say the same thing to myself"
A sort of draconian technique would be to ticket them and require them to attend a bike safety course to avoid a heavy fine.
My first thoughts on the subject involved draconian enforcement of existing laws. But this isn't going to happen because there are just so many police officers available and their first mission is to catch criminals. And passing more laws isn't going to help when the existing ones aren't being enforced as it is. And, while we're on the topic of traffic laws, who hasn't occasionally ridden in the gray areas because the "legal" route held even more hazards?
So we're back to the idea of educating people who ride bikes. Classes are a good idea -- but how do you market them, in all the languages required for the area? And I would be willing to bet that a lot of people we're talking about think their safety skills are just fine, thank you, so even if a class is offered they won't see it as being for them.
Maybe the most effective would be a PR campaign, with short radio and TV spots about specific things. For example, a graphic illustration of why riding on the sidewalk can get you killed. New York City has its Look campaign (see http://www.nyc.gov/html/look/). Maybe something on these lines could be picked up in other areas. Even if the local transportation folks can't/won't afford it, such a campaign would be a great place to spend bicycle advocacy dollars.
Done right, such a campaign wouldn't necessarily scare potential new bicyclists away. Something as simple as the concept of "Choose your route" -- my coworkers are astounded that I commute by bike past several busy streets and it never occurred to them that I don't ride on those busy streets any more than I can help. Also, if the general public knows that bicyclists as a group frown on the cowboy-like attitude of some, I suspect that will draw a bit more respect for the rest of us.
these are all great comments, and i appreciate your sincere and thorough responses.
as nice as it would be to say that more laws would solve the problem, i don't see it as being a viable solution. in all honesty, whether we like it or not, the reality of the situation is that many of the people that would benefit from bike rider education are not legal/documented citizens, and therefore would avoid anything that involves "government," "license," etc.
i learned what i know from my parents or friends, just like rebecca was saying. so we can always hope that parents will want their kids to be safe.
i really like adrienne's ideas about community-type events, and going to where the people are and helping them that way. that relies heavily on the willingness of people to volunteer their time and resources to make these things happen - and i know there are people who would lovingly do so.
i am so impressed by the level of response from everyone. i think this is a topic that i will continue to explore on this blog and i would love to have you all continue to share your thoughts on the matter!
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