Cycling Safety

The fatal accident last week involving the nineteen year old cyclist Tracey Sparling and a cement truck has sparked a healthy debate here in the Metro area about cycling safety.

As is normal when a fatal accident occurs here, between a cyclist and motorist, there is often a good deal of vitriol exchanged from the two sides of this issue: the cyclists feeling that they can do no wrong, and the motorists convinced that it is always the cyclist's fault, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

The response to last week's accident has most of the earmarks of the normal debate, yet there is something different here. After the initial knee jerk reactions subsided, and people learned the details of the accident, everyone seemed to open up and REALLY start talking about the issue in depth.

Many accidents are clearly the fault of one party or another, but in last week's accident, I find fault with both parties, and I think it is this dichotomy of the incident that has made this debate possible. The driver of the truck is at fault for not being aware of his immediate surroundings (it could just as easily have been a pedestrian,) and the cyclist is at fault for not noticing the truck's turn signal as she came along side it.

I have been cycling in the Portland metro area for many years. Before Becky and I were married, I sold my car, bought a bicycle and commuted from Sellwood to North Portland five days a week. I never had any close calls in the years I made this ride on a daily basis, in spite of the fact that I had to ride in three lanes of one-way traffic for five blocks in order to cross I-84 near the I-5 interchange. I rode at all times of the day and night without incident. After we moved and I started working in SW Portland, I would occasionally ride my bike to or from work, often in heavy traffic and always without incident.

I credit this to a couple of things. 1. I always assume that the drivers in the cars around me don't know I'm there. 2. I try to make myself "known." By this, I mean that when I need to ride with traffic, I place myself where they can't miss me.

Bicycle lanes are great, when they are on streets that don't have drainage ditches in the lane every 150 feet. I actually prefer riding in the road because it causes me and the motorists around me to be more engaged. We are more aware of each other. No, I don't think we shouldn't build bike lanes, but bikes lanes alone are not the answer.

As many have pointed out, dedicated bike paths are the ideal. My favorite ride from our current house is down the Springwater Corridor to downtown and along the Eastbank Esplanade. This is a great ride, and I only have to ride on surface streets for the first three miles. Whenever we have the opportunity to create bike paths like this, we should.

All that said, when cyclists and motorists come together, there are a couple of things we can all do to make our lives safer.

Cyclists need to be more defensive when they ride and get rid of the notion that they are entitled to anything. Many cyclists ride like they are the only person on the road. In fact, in all of my years riding around town, I have had more problems with other cyclists than any motor vehicle. I have had cyclist cut me off and ride out in front of me in cross walks when I had a green light. Some cyclists pass when it is unsafe, and others apparently don't have brakes because they will not slow down for anything. I like to ride fast, but when I come up on a bunch of pedestrians, or the bike path is congested, I slow down, sometimes to a near stop until I can cut loose again.

I hear people complain about cyclists running red lights (that seems to be a big complaint.) Well, I have and do (and will) run red lights and stop signs, but I only do so when I am nearly stopped and can see in all directions. My general rule of thumb is if I could cross as a pedestrian, it is safe to go. I know this is lazy, but if every motorist had to disconnect and reconnect their gas pedal every time they stopped, they'd be running lights too, when they could.

There are also some stop lights that do NOT recognize when a cyclist is waiting for the light to change (the light on 92nd Ave. crossing Johnson Creek Blvd. for example) and unless there is a car going in the same direction, the light won't change. I don't run this light, even on Sunday mornings when no one is around (the visibility is too limited.) I am forced to ride over to the pedestrian crosswalk button to get the light to change.

As for drivers of motor vehicles, they need to treat cyclists the way they treat farm equipment. When coming up to a cyclist on a road, slow down until it is safe to pass and then come around the cyclist with plenty of room, and DON'T drive behind the cyclist even when you have room to pass. This is perhaps my biggest pet peev. I know when a car is behind me, and do my level best to use up as little of the road as I can until they get around me, but when they stay back there, following me, I feel extremely nervous and vulnerable.

A few months ago I was riding in the hills east of here on a narrow, seldom used road. I had just reached the top of a long hill and was cresting the summit when a van came up behind me. I applied my brakes and slowed to less than 10 mph and moved as far right as I could go. A quarter of a mile went by, and they were still behind me. The downhill grade grew steeper. There was plenty of forward visibility, and yet they remained behind me. I finally looked back at them. They still would not pass. So I let go of my brake, moved my bicycle into the middle of the lane and accelerated down the hill.

I understand some drivers are trying to be courteous. I appreciate the thought, but when it is safe to pass, please, do.

In general, we all need to be more respectful of each other. Portland is heralded as having the most polite drivers in the country and also one of the largest cycling communities. I'm sure we can marry these two wonderful attributes and even expand upon them.