Abiding By the Law

School just started for many students locally. It still takes some getting used to for me because I grew up in a place where no one even dreamed of being back in school until September, but I understand that weather likely plays a big part in the return-to-class reasoning here.

Like many morning travelers, I frequently find myself at intersections with children darting across roads and crossing guards attempting to keep some sort of order. There's a particular intersection that I travel through nearly daily at child-drop-off time in the morning. The intersection is set up so that the north-south bound traffic has no stop sign and only yields to the crossing guard (or someone walking through the crosswalk). The east-west bound traffic has a stop sign and waits for the traffic to clear before proceeding. There are also bike lanes that travel in all four directions, which is great.

I am no expert on traffic patterns or engineering, but I have assumed there are people far smarter than me who have determined that at this particular intersection it makes sense for traffic flow that two of the lanes of travel stop, and the other two do not. Yet, at least once a week as I approach the stop sign at this intersection on my bicycle, someone driving a motorized vehicle through the perpendicular road wants to stop where there is no stop sign and attempt to coerce me into proceeding through the intersection in front of them.

A non-perfect representation of the intersection in question.

As it happened, one day this week, this moment presented itself again. I was traveling west to the intersection where I would meet up with the stop sign. I had signaled that I was coming out of the bike lane to make a left hand turn as I was approaching the intersection. At that moment, there were no vehicles behind me as the parents were busy dropping off their children. I stopped at the stop sign as I am supposed to do, looked both ways (which is not easy at this intersection as there are always lots of large vehicle parked along the street, blocking the view) and could see that there were vehicles coming in both directions on the road to which I was planning to turn.

On the north-west side of the intersection was a crossing guard who was holding back individuals to allow some of the road traffic to get by. I was waiting for the traffic to get through (or for the crossing guard to stop the traffic to allow my left turn to the south) when suddenly a truck behind me started honking, presumably at me as I was not yet moving due to the vehicles traveling through the intersection. As I looked to the north, a woman sitting in her SUV was waving at me to travel through in front of her. I vehemently shook my head and waved for her to make her turn, to which she finally acquiesced, as I muttered about people who don't follow the laws.

I understand what this woman in the SUV was likely thinking. I "get" that she believes she is extending a nice gesture by allowing me to pedal out in front of her before she makes her turn, but the truth is that she 1) does not need to do this as traffic flow will allow me to pass within a few seconds if she just proceeded through, 2) is technically breaking the law by doing so (and forcing me to break the law if I went through as she'd wanted), and perhaps most importantly 3) is potentially causing me to have a run-in with injury or death.

When traveling on roadways, I find that there can be two extremes with people driving motorized vehicles. One side wants to continuously yield to cycling traffic, regardless of who actually has the right-of-way, instead of treating those on bikes like any other vehicular traffic; and the other side will do anything in their power to try to keep cyclists off what they view as roads meant only for motorized traffic. Both of these types of people are potentially dangerous.

On one hand, I understand why many motorists want to yield to cyclists regardless of the circumstances because I've witnessed instances when some on bicycles blow through stop signs/lights, ride on the wrong side of the street, and perform other acts as though there is no one else traveling on the road. I suppose for those who do this, it's easy to understand why a motorist could be unsure of what someone on a bicycle is going to do. However, this thought process falls apart when it is apparent and obvious that the cyclist in question is doing what should be done -- in this case, halting at a stop sign.

As the woman turned in front of me to head away from where I stood waiting to proceed, she shook her head at me, rolled down her window and told me that I "should've just gone." But, before I could respond to her, she was well on her way in the opposite direction. However, the air around me got an ear-full, despite it being an entirely useless rant.

As someone who rides a bike regularly, I understand that there are times when a person on a bicycle who breaks the law can be a safer option than following the letter of the law. Until streets are built everywhere that allow for different modes of transportation to travel with ease and safety, I think this is just a reality. I am absolutely not advocating for cyclists to break the law, but I am stating that I have found myself in situations where it made more sense for safety's sake to bend the rules a bit.

However, when a motorist is attempting to get someone on a bicycle to put him/herself in harms way, I absolutely must protest. While the intention of the motorist may be one of good will, many simply don't understand what they are doing to a vulnerable road user. While the sentiment is appreciated, the actual action has potential to cause far more harm than good.

It's Not Really About Helmets

Each time I write about helmets, I think it will be my last post, but it seems to be a matter that continues to pop up in various situations and I find myself typing again about a topic that can not only be controversial, but is one that I would often prefer not to bring up at all. Just recently though, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with friends and soon-to-be-open local bike shop owners for an interview (I'm still filtering through pages of notes and audio, but I'm excited to post about all of that soon) and the matter of helmets came up in conversation.

As we neared the end of our interview, Paul looked over and said, "You know, it really upset me that day you rode Sam over here and you weren't wearing your helmet." Paul and Sam had been preparing to go out for a ride and I had meandered over to their house to drop Sam off for no real reason other than to be out for a few minutes. Riding over, Sam had commented that Paul would likely be worked up that I wasn't wearing a helmet. It's not the first time this subject has come up when Paul has spotted me somewhere in town without a helmet (which, I will admit, has happened on multiple occasions), but I laughed it off as I usually do and attempted to move on.

Paul continued though, "So, what is it you have against helmets?" In the moment I replied briefly, "I don't have anything against helmets, and I do wear them sometimes. More often when it's a ride around town though, I simply forget to put one on."

*Image found here

We continued to talk a bit about the matter and then moved on to other topics. The reality is, however, there is something a bit more that goes on in my mind when it comes to helmets. What I said in reply was the truth for me - when I'm riding around town, I do often forget as I'm leaving to grab a helmet, so I wasn't trying to get out of anything. I am well aware that a fall could happen at any time and that there is always the possibility of an injury when this happens, but I trust myself and am willing to take whatever minimal risk there is for me to ride helmet-less. In my estimation, there is also the possibility that I could trip crossing the street while walking and get injured, or that getting in a motorized vehicle could result in injury or death.

Some may view my lack of helmet as risky behavior and others would argue that it isn't. Obviously, to date it has worked out fine for me, which is not to say by any means that I believe nothing could ever happen that results in injury or worse, but simply that I have not had problems or injuries due to my choices.

Sometimes my decision is conscious. If the roads are slick outside, I will likely put a helmet on my head. Not because I think it will save me in the event that I'm struck by a motorist, but I find that the odds of slipping under my own power are more likely in these situations. I'm also more likely to put on a helmet when it's dark out - simply because I cannot see the roads as well, and I am more likely to hit debris in the road.

If I'm going out on a long ride, I'm also more likely to strap on my helmet, but those rides seem to be more of an unconscious decision. For some reason if I'm geared up in padded shorts and such, the helmet seems to be an auto-response. If I'm just riding a mile to the grocery store, it just hasn't been a habit I've developed.

The more important issue for me with helmets though has little to do with my personal choice to wear or not wear a helmet, nor anyone else's decision to don a helmet or not. What concerns me more is the level of fear that resides in so many people about riding a bicycle at all and what the topic of helmets can mean in these situations.

For example, let's say I was someone who was considering starting to ride a bike. I've been looking at bikes and trying to figure out if my distance to work (or school, or wherever) is doable by bike. I have seen other people in spandex out riding on local roadways and have noticed that cars seem to travel very close to cyclists. I'm not sure I am comfortable with being so close to motorized traffic while on a bicycle. I also have just read about someone who was hit by a car while on a bicycle last week. When I went to my bike shop, the salesperson told me my first purchase should be a helmet for my safety. I don't like the look or weight of the helmets I've tried on, but I don't want to get hurt while I'm out riding either.

This may not be the exact scenario for every person who is looking to ride, but ask anyone who is considering riding or who has tried briefly and given up what is keeping them from getting on a bike and their reason(s) are frequently to do with fear of injury or death. Certainly, this has been my experience in talking with people.

Driving in a motorized vehicle isn't exactly the safest thing we can do. There are accidents every single day, yet most people continue to get in their cars on a daily basis. During my recent trip to Georgia, there were highway signs announcing the number of crash fatalities overhead to everyone on the road. Not exactly the most comforting thought as the number increased from one day to the next. However, there is social and community support for driving, so we continue to get in our vehicles and drive. No one thinks we are "crazy" for getting in a car to go to work, the grocery store, or wherever our day takes us. We know there's risk of injury or death while driving, but it doesn't stop us from racking up the miles on our cars.

Cycling simply does not have the same community or numbers that help encourage people to continue to use their bicycles for errands, commuting, and so on. Looking up the statistics for the US or Canada, it's easy to see that riding a bike is still very unpopular with the majority of the population. Some cities have better numbers than others, but there isn't the infrastructure to support mass bike riding in North America. So, our community often tells us that we are absolutely nuts to be out on two wheels, risking life and limb. It doesn't help that when a person gets out on the road with motorized traffic it can be highly intimidating, particularly to someone new to riding, and when there isn't reinforced support from community to ride, it's easy to understand why numbers are so low.

*Image found here

When there's already a high level of concern or fear and it is being reinforced by the notion that wearing a helmet is a necessity for personal safety, I believe it creates an environment of fear-mongering and potentially puts a new rider off from riding at all. I'm not at all saying that our friend is trying to encourage fear among riders by any means, but I find that when someone is told repeatedly that a helmet is a necessity for safety, it can cause the individual to have additional or increased anxiety about getting on the road with his/her bicycle.

There are advocates of the Mary Poppins effect who believe that if one is in every day clothes, specifically a skirt or dress, cars are more aware of the rider and collision is less likely. There are also studies of actual impacts and the statistics of head trauma and brain damage after a crash and research that investigates whether wearing a helmet makes the rider safer.

I am not trying to debate the merits of wearing a helmet though. In a no-to-low speed situation (such as tipping over, slipping on a slick surface, and so on) a helmet could very well keep a person's head from injury if there is impact with a hard surface. It may also offer protection in a higher speed impact crash with a motorized vehicle. There are tons of places to find statistics and research being done on whether helmets are actually protecting the rider or not, but again, that isn't really the focus today.

My attempt is not to debate whether or not one should wear a helmet as there are plenty of places for that discussion and research; however, I do think telling a person s/he will be injured if s/he chooses not to wear a helmet is a bit irresponsible and more importantly it may be a factor keeping someone who doesn't ride a bike from getting on one.

*Image found here

Wouldn't it make more sense to encourage non-riders to simply get out and ride, however they are comfortable? Promoting safety and awareness is reasonable when the time is appropriate, and there may be individuals who need this reminder right off the bat (young children, accident prone individuals, unsteady riders, etc), but allowing an individual to see how enjoyable and free the experience can feel seems like a better way to promote riding a bike - at least to me.

While I understand that for many people the discussion of helmet use comes from a good place of wanting to protect others from injury, I continually question whether this conversation is good for the overall encouragement of a community of people riding bikes. I want to see more people out riding because I think that will have a much larger impact on cycling as a whole. It has the potential to change the way roads are used, to provide better infrastructure (and/or physically separated paths), and to change the way communities view riding a bike as a whole. We may still need or want the use of helmets, but I don't think pushing helmets is necessarily the best way to get others to ride.

I am curious what others think about the way the cycling community as a whole views and promotes helmet use or any safety equipment for that matter? When someone is new to riding, do you insist that s/he wear a helmet right off the bat, or do you let the person feel their way through? Do you inadvertently (or even intentionally) scare people new to riding with stories of those who have been injured in order to encourage the use of a helmet? Whatever your thoughts, I'd be interested to hear from you.

Frustrations With Cycling the Roundabout

A draft of a "cyclists and roundabouts" post was in progress about mid-summer, but I let it go because I thought perhaps I was in the wrong frame of mind to write anything intelligible (e.g. I was extremely upset from a near-death incident). Soon thereafter, I saw this post from Lovely Bicycle! in which Velouria discusses her evolving relationship with the roundabout as a cyclist. It was an interesting read to me, especially coming down from several summer roundabout incidents. The one note that caught my eye was her discovery that while cycling in Ireland there didn't appear to be the confusion that frequently takes place in roundabouts here in the U.S. I suppose it made me wish that everyone was more aware, and that roundabouts here were less stressful. Since then, I have spotted a few different articles or posts regarding the roundabout and cyclists, including a recent Bicycle Times cover.

*Image from Bicycle Times

For me personally, there are two roundabouts with which I have frequent interaction because of their proximity to home and the places I travel. One is a two-lane roundabout (a more standard marker of a roundabout in the area as it has an inner circle for continuing traffic and an outer lane for those who will be exiting) that I've not directly discussed, but have written about in some manner here.

Flow of a roundabout in the U.S.
*Image found here

The other is in a residential neighborhood, a couple of blocks from home and is a near-daily, disaster-in-the-making, single-lane roundabout. I have had incidents transpire in both locations, but oddly the single-lane roundabout seems to create the largest number of run-ins and near death experiences for me... and when I say near death, I truly mean it.

The red arrows indicate all the things that cause me to believe people will be paying attention and yielding as appropriate: the actual roundabout itself, the "yield" signs placed at each of the four intersections of the roundabout, the elementary school that is a block away, and the fact that there is a designated bike lane on both streets that intersect at the roundabout.

The latest incident took place not very long ago as I was biking to a kickboxing class. I am using it only as an example because I could highlight similar incidents that take place weekly, if not daily. I was approaching the roundabout and slowing (as the yield signs - to me - indicate that I should slow to be able to stop if need be), looking to my left and ahead of me, as well as glancing to my right to be sure there was no traffic coming into the roundabout. As I was part way into the roundabout, I looked to my right and saw a car approaching hastily. Thinking that the driver must see me as I was in the roundabout, I didn't think much of it, but quickly realized she was not slowing down. Had I not immediately applied my brakes, there is no doubt in my mind I would've been drug by this woman and her vehicle down the street - as she not only didn't slow down, but didn't bother to look (either direction) as she went tearing through the circle. While I don't normally try to start altercations with automobile drivers (or anyone really), I have grown weary of these incidents taking place nearly every day. So, as I looked after her, I couldn't help but throw up my arms and say, "Really?!" out loud, at which point she proceeded to honk at me as she sped off. Shaking my head, I continued on, wondering how long it will be before one of these cars actually does hit me and I'm blamed for being the "irresponsible cyclist."

The red arrow is used to illustrate that there is in fact a yield sign for all directions of traffic.

This roundabout is a constant matter of discussion (discussion being the nice word as it's generally more of a tirade with me venting about the multitude of close encounters that take place) in our household because I cannot seem to come to terms with the absolute confusion that exists here. The individuals who are traveling north and southbound (as the woman was on the day described above) seem to think, at least on the whole, that they do not have to slow or yield to any traffic, but that instead the east/westbound traffic must always yield to them. I am witness daily to drivers who have absolutely no intention of stopping, nor would they be able to stop if need-be as they are traveling at or above the posted 30 mph speed limit and paying no mind to the yield sign right in front of them. Even police officers seem to have no understanding of the roundabout as I've approached the circle as they were heading through and they either screech on their brakes believing they need to yield to me (even though s/he was there first), or they don't yield when they should as I'm already in the roundabout traffic.

It all seems simple enough to me. In the U.S. the traffic is coming in a counter-clockwise manner, therefore, looking to ones right is not going to help. We are taught that we yield to traffic in the roundabout, and therefore logically one would think that s/he would look to his/her left when approaching one of these circles (of course this would be opposite in many European countries). Instead, there seems to be mass confusion on the part of drivers who either yield to everyone because they have no idea who should be permitted to go first, or they do not bother to look or yield at all and simply roar through the roundabout.

Part of the roundabouts purpose is to allow better traffic flow and decrease major accidents, but I'm not certain that this is always the case. One site suggests, roundabouts "can greatly increase motorist safety... since traffic is forced to slow down and the possibility for head-on collisions is eliminated..." but the same article goes on to suggest that cycling through roundabouts could be safer for cyclists, depending on how they are designed. If all involved are not paying attention, however, this all seems like a great recipe for disaster. As a cyclist, if an automobile hits me, it's not going to be a minor accident. In addition, with an elementary school very close to the intersection above, there could easily be children running across the street, not to mention the multitude of pedestrians frequently in the area due to the adjacent park.

The conclusion I have reached is that trying to have a conversation with motorists doesn't seem to work (even when I'm not upset), and because I have no desire to die at the hands of an automobile driver, I must always be aware of everything taking place and know that even if I have the right-of-way, the driver may not stop - which means that I have to be ready to apply the brakes, regardless of the situation or whose turn it may be to proceed. Perhaps you've found better ways to deal with the roundabout or other tricky situations with shared roads? Your thoughts are certainly welcome.