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GET OFF THE ROAD!

Posted on December 18, 2018December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

Two recent incidents prompted this post. I had to wait a bit to write about the first one because I was so angry. And then the second one came up…It’s still a somewhat angry post, but please read it.

December 12: “Cyclist dies in crash”
- The headline in a Tennessee news article
December 17: “Orlando Health cardiologist killed in Maitland bicycle crash”
- The headline in a Florida news article

Well, at least neither one blamed anyone for the crash. But wait. Let’s get into the articles:

Regarding the Tennessee crash, the reporter says, “According to a fatality report by Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Curtis Smith, (David) Abney was distracted while using a cellphone before striking McCurry, who was not wearing a helmet.” So Abney, who “traveled outside his lane in a 2005 Chevy Tahoe and struck Cletus McCurry,” was distracted, left his lane, and killed a man on a bicycle. But the reporter felt it was critical to say that the bicyclist was not wearing his helmet. Was the motorist wearing a seatbelt? Or a helmet (data show many brain injuries occur as a result of car crashes, too)? How about saying that Mr. Abney wasn’t controlling his 5,000-lb lethal weapon!?

But wait. By implication, Mr. McCurry shouldn’t have been on the road. The article goes on: “Meanwhile, Loudon County commissioners voted 6-3 to draft a resolution asking Loudon County Sheriff’s Office to enforce traffic violations for bicyclists.”

“Our hope is that enforcement of existing state laws will discourage bicycle riders from riding their bicycles on Loudon County roads that are far too narrow, winding and dangerous and will improve the safety and welfare of the traveling public on Loudon County roadways,” the resolution reads.

The county commissioner introduced the resolution. His bias is clear: Bicyclists just need to get off the damned road!

“Bicycles on roadways are just always going to be at a disadvantage in any accident,” Shaver said. “Bicycles on the roadways are going to be very hazardous to folks on bicycles and automobiles. Highways and roadways are not the place for people on bicycles.” So the bicyclists in the county are a danger to the 5,000-lb. hurling metal boxes, are they? Apparently, they are. God forbid a bicyclist should hit a car and kill the occupant. That would be just terrible.

Now let’s move on to the idiocy in Florida:

“A long-time cardiologist with Orlando Health was killed in Maitland Monday morning when his bicycle was hit by a car.” Apparently in Florida, vehicles can move about on their own. How the cardiologist might have died is unclear, since his bike was out for a ride, and was hit by a car. I don’t know whether either vehicle’s owner knew they were out on the road or if the vehicles had permission to go out on their own, unsupervised.

OK, I said that to make a point. Obviously, the doctor was riding his bike and a person driving a car hit him. But the motorist who killed Dr. Dalton is never mentioned!

What’s the implied bias in this case? Exactly the same as the stated bias in the Tennessee case. That the bicyclist was somehow at fault, and that we should shield the poor unfortunate motorist who was involved in this tragic accident. It was no accident. Crashes happen because people make choices, and sometimes those choices are bad. In this case, someone’s choice was fatal. I don’t know whether the bad choice was Dr. Dalton’s or the unnamed motorist’s.

Regardless, the bias, overt or implicit, in these articles is clear. And the words we use frame the way we think about things. And what do we take away from these two articles? That those poor unfortunate motorists had the misfortune of hitting a bicyclist…who shouldn’t have been there anyway.

I’ve talked about crashes in other posts. If you’d like to read on, try these: “No. NO!,” “It was a crash…it was no accident,” “I just crashed! (hypothetically)”

Bicycling and Traffic Law 2018

Posted on July 8, 2018December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

A year later, and three more sessions in the books. If you’ve seen my posts over the last year, you know I’ve taught classes to police officers on how traffic laws apply to people on bicycles. The fundamental principle is the same as what the League of American Bicyclists teaches the public: “Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.”

It’s appropriate to point out here that bicyclists have the same rights and share the same responsilibities as motorists. IN ALL 50 STATES. The wording of the statute differs from state to state, but fundamentally, they all say that people on bicycles should drive their bicycles. Yes, you read that right. There are some statutes that only apply to motorists, and some that only apply to bicyclists, and some that bicyclists cannot follow by definition.

And that’s what the course is about.

Over the past few weeks, the NJBWC educated nearly 40 law enforcement officers from 18 police departments in three New Jersey counties in the rules of the road for bike riders. Like last year’s course, “Title 39: A Bike’s-Eye View,” it comprised classroom learning, skills building maneuvers on bikes, and a group ride on local roads. The purpose is to help the officers understand how traffic law relates to bike riders, and to give them first-hand experience of what most of us who ride regularly already know: the road is very different when you are on a bike. The course, funded by the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, was held in locations in Atlantic, Monmouth, and Morris Counties in May.

It was modified a bit this year to spend a bit more time on one of the trickiest part of riding on the road…the “far right as practicable” rule. Like many other adults, many police officers, not being riders themselves, do not appreciate how traffic looks to a bicyclist. They also don’t fully understand the challenges bicyclists face in dealing with motorists. With this course, these officers are now equipped to be more effective in working with bicyclists as drivers. The course was designed to help officers also work with motorists, who often do not understand that bicyclists have a right to use the road in the same way that they do.

The course, developed specifically for law enforcement officers, addressed the so-called ‘Three E’s of Traffic Safety’: Education, Engineering, and Enforcement, in a classroom session. Encouragement and Equity were also discussed – some of the new “E’s” that have come onto the scene.

A significant portion of the enforcement section focused on Title 39:4-14.2. This statute says that bicyclists must ride as far to the right of the roadway as practicable (AFRAP), and enumerates several exceptions to that requirement. First: What does practicable mean? It means safe and reasonable. It does NOT mean “possible.” Bicyclists do NOT have to ride as far right as possible. Several scenarios challenged the officers to determine where the bicyclist would be if as far right as practicable. Two scenarios showed that it was actually on the left edge of the lane! We talked a lot about AFRAP as situational. It changes based on both location and time.

After classroom discussion, many of the officers got on bikes and practiced various drills to learn maneuvers that help avoid crashes. Finally, they participated in a group ride that took them on a variety of roads ranging from low-speed, residential streets to major highways, to help them understand what it’s like to be a bike rider on those roads. On the ride, several “side-of-the-road” talks were used to point out the potential problem areas, designs, and hazards. We also used these talks to discuss AFRAP in various locations. At one spot, we pulled over near a parked car to show first, how dangerous it can be to ride close to parked cars, and also how far left a rider needs to be to avoid getting doored. Many were shocked to see that required the rider to be at the left side of the lane.

“The real power of this course is its dual approach: classroom discussion helps officers become more aware of the motor vehicle code as it applies to bicyclists. Then, getting the officers on bikes gives them a real taste of how the world looks from the saddle,” said Sgt. John Barbour (Princeton University Public Safety), a co-instructor of the course.

The course was created in consultation with police officers. Classes were led by Mr. Leathem, who is a national coach for the League of American Bicyclists, and by police officers who are also bicyclists. for information about other such courses I’ve done, click here(2017) or here (2015).

Riding…and not seeing

Posted on April 12, 2018December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.”

John F. Kennedy

That’s right. Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. And many of us take that simple pleasure for granted. Why? Because we can do it any time. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then next week…

But what if that weren’t a possibility? What if you couldn’t do that ride next week?

That’s the real situation some of my friends face. They can’t just jump on the bike and ride. They used to be able to ride, just like the rest of us. But now, it’s just not something they can do. Because they can no longer see. Did you know that around 90% of people who are blind/visually impaired had sight earlier in their lives? They more than likely learned to ride a bike when they were young, just like you and me. And I’m sure they enjoyed it, just like you and me. But that simple pleasure is no longer one they can enjoy, without help.

A few months ago, I met a man who organized bike rides for blind people. He came down with retinitis pigmentosa some years ago. It is a genetic disease that results in gradual loss of vision because of the loss of rod and cone receptor cells in the eye. As they are lost, vision gets progressively more difficult. Total blindness is not common, but many sufferers, like my friend, eventually can distinguish only some light and dark.

He used to ride a lot before he developed retinitis pigmentosa. He wants to keep riding. So he tracked down a couple of tandem bikes and put out a call for sighted bicyclists who would be willing to pilot the tandems. He plans a once-a-month short ride (many of the blind riders have not been on a bike for many years).

I answered the call, because it felt like a great way to help bring the simple pleasure of a bike ride to people who might not think they could do that again. So in December, I went on my first “blind bike ride.” It was a terrific experience. I saw things I had never seen. I experienced the ride in a whole new way: I described everything I was seeing to the blind stoker on the back of the tandem. I told her about the giant Christmas wreaths that one homeowner put up between the columns on the large two-story house we passed. She told me about the car coming up behind us before I could hear it. I told her why we were moving left (to pass the motorist who was unloading the car up ahead). She talked about the aromas coming out of the restaurant coming up, and because she sensed that, she knew exactly where we were! The give and take continued, from Bayou St. John into the French Quarter, and back.

We enjoyed the ride; the sighted pilots and the blind stokers all. We’ve done a few rides now and we’re branching out. One ride was in City Park, with stops at the Singing Oak, Morning Call, and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. We’ve contacted the New Orleans Museum of Art about a more formal visit there. Next month we’ll be back at NOMA’s Sculpture Garden, meeting with a docent to teach us a bit about some of the sculptures…and the visually impaired riders will get to experience the sculptures by touch! We’re talking about a couple of new rides: a historical ride, with licensed tour guides, and a pub ride to some of the local craft breweries.

We’re all learning a lot, and are looking forward to more rides. What’s next? Riders who are challenged in other ways…Adaptive bikes? Trikes? Hand bikes? Yes, we’ve got ideas. We’re at the start of something good.

In the end, it’s about that simple pleasure. The joy of riding a bike.

P.S. Want to get involved? Send me a note. I’ll be happy to help you get involved.

Wounded…

Posted on January 9, 2018December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

The problem is that you can be wounded in your mind as well as your physique.

Marco Pantani

A crash changes lives. The injury is real. The scars prove it.

For some, getting over it and moving on is not very difficult. For others the fear paralyzes. It prevents them from experiencing the joy they once felt. It imprisons them in a world that threatens, not promises. It causes them to deny that which they love to prevent further loss.

I understand the “wounded mind.” Let me tell you about two experiences in my life. In the 90’s, I was in a car crash. Later, even when the doctor cleared me to drive, I was afraid. I coudn’t bear to get behind the wheel again, until finally my wife told me I couldn’t stop living and she wouldn’t drive me anywhere. I had to face the reality, no, the fear, of driving in order to continue living my life. And of course, my wounded mind healed.

Then nearly six years ago, I crashed on my bicycle. It was serious. Broken clavicle, broken ribs, torn bicep tendon, broken thumb, chest bleed, brain bleed. Medevac to trauma hospital. In the trauma unit for 9 days. I have no recollection of the event itself. I “wasn’t there;” short-term amnesia occurred. I don’t remember falling over. I don’t remember hitting the pavement. I don’t remember the pain of my (not insignificant!) injuries. My first (fleeting) memory was opening my eyes and hearing (realizing? being told?) that I was in a helicopter. I don’t remember much else for the next few days. Just pain. People coming and going. Bad dreams. The sheer joy of seeing my family. Bad food. Friends beside me. LEGO candies (yes, really!)

The wounded mind, though.

After this crash, things were different. I didn’t experience the same prison I did after the car crash. I couldn’t wait to get back on the bike. I was ecstatic when my doctor cleared me to ride again. But my mind was wounded that day too, and I was not the only one. My wife was wounded, too. Her wounds are just not visible…to you. They were and still are real. I still see them each time I say I’m going for a ride. But I can’t stop living. And I won’t stop doing the things I love. She knows that I take the utmost care when I go out on a ride. And she gives me her blessing. But like the scars I still have on my arms and the clavicle that healed out of kilter, our wounded minds are scarred as well. I still think about that day, and she still worries. It’s not the same as it was before. But we have healed.

A couple of days ago, I shared a meme on facebook that is relevant here: “God didn’t add another day in your life because you needed it…He added it because someone out there needs you.” There is something to be learned (and shared) in your experience. You may not know what that is right now. Search it out. Embrace it. Share it. And in that, you will heal.

So if you’ve been through this in some way, know that like your physique, your wounded mind will heal.

Seduction

Posted on December 31, 2017December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

“It’s the first machine we master as children and the one we abandon when the seductions of the automobile take over.”
Colman McCarthy, journalist

The feeling of joy. Of confidence. Of freedom. Mastery of the bicycle is a watershed moment for many. It’s the means by which we can explore the world beyond the boundaries of our homes – without our parents! Of course, they set the new boundaries. But it’s..ahem…”a whole new world” (my movie-loving daughters will appreciate the quote). At that moment we first had the opportunity to experience the world in our own way, in our own time, at least until dinner time!

And then, a few years later, it changes. “…when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Cor 13:11). The lure of the automobile. We put away the “toy” and get a car. Now we expand our boundaries even further, with greater speed. But did it really give us more freedom? Or did it take us prisoner? OK, perhaps a bit of hyperbole, but didn’t it, in some way, take away something, and didn’t we lose just a little bit in the process?

I suggest that the answer is “yes” to all the above. Yes, we had even more freedom to explore the world in our own way, in our own time. We could go further and see more in less time. And the building of even more, wider, faster roads allowed us to explore and learn and live further and further away from each other. Yes, and at the same time, we were saddled with so much more. The cost of the vehicle. Paying for gas. Insurance. On the grander scale, road-building. Repairing bad streets. Designing bigger, wider roads to move motorists faster and more easily through to their destinations. Yes, at ever-increasing cost: in dollars; in lives; in lost neighborhoods; lost towns! Cost in marginalizing all road users, except the motorist.

You may be thinking, “well, aren’t the roads for motorists?” Yes, but they are also for bicyclists, pedestrians, wheelchair users…and on it goes. But do we design them to be used by all who need or want to get from one place to another?

No. We design them to get more motor vehicles through, faster. All other users are pushed aside. Not pushed to the side, but pushed out of the way! And we sit in our cars and get irritated when the bicyclist won’t move over so we can pass. [News flash: the law gives bicyclists the SAME rights as motorists] And we blow past the pedestrian standing in the crosswalk trying to reach the other side of the road. [News flash: pedestrians have the right-of-way at EVERY intersection, unless there is a traffic light and it is red] And we can’t get traffic patterns changed or signals installed at a known dangerous intersection until someone dies there. And towns can’t lower speed limits without state approval.

So the new boundaries are those we’ve allowed by subservience to the “freedom” of the automobile. Yes, it seduces us. And, once in a while, we see the true cost.

Look at the constellations…

Posted on November 6, 2017December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

“If the constellations had been named in the twentieth century, I suppose we would see bicycles.”
Carl Sagan

It’s all a matter of perspective. And life experience.

The ancients named the constellations, those ephemeral collections of stars that happen to be just in the right place when they looked. They’ll all go away, you know. The stars that make up constellations are light-years away from each other, and traveling in different directions. We see the same thing the ancients saw, only because our time frame is too short. Give them a million years or so, and they won’t look like a dog, or a bear, or a hunter, or…

Enter the bicycle.

First, an observation about roads. Remember, it’s all a matter of perspective. Roads are for cars, right? Nope. Roads were built for bicycles. Yep. Google it. The League of American Wheelmen (that later became the League of American Bicyclists) advocated for paved roads because the ruts caused by the horse-drawn carriages were a problem for them.

And you I know the rest of the story. Along came cars, and the roads became the province of the motorist. Bit by bit, bicycle drivers were relegated to the side of the road or to sidewalks. Car-makers lobbied for rules (like no jaywalking) to make sure those pesky pedestrians didn’t keep motorists from getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible with little interference from bicyclists or walkers. It’s all a matter of perspective.

And now, here we are in the 21st century. Nobody knows the history. Roads are for cars. Bikes should be on the sidewalks. And yes, pedestrian, I DO see you in the crosswalk, but you should wait for me to pass. I can’t be inconvenienced by having to stop for you to cross… It’s all a matter of perspective.

Civil engineers design roads that are designed to get motorists from point A to point B as rapidly as possible, regardless of the human cost. Complete Streets documents are prepared, and even enacted by ordinance in some places. Complete Streets programs are designed to ensure that planners and engineers take into account the needs of ALL road users. Who are the road users? Motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and yes, even equestrians, rollerbladers, skateboarders, scooter riders… It’s all a matter of perspective.

…and what happens? In all too many cases, engineers say we’ve looked at accommodating everyone (as required by the ordinances) but we can’t do it. Or it’s too expensive. Or there’s not enough space to accommodate a bike lane. Or they paint a line next to the parking lane and say, “Look, we’ve put in a bike lane” (in the most dangerous position possible!). It’s all a matter of perspective.

Meanwhile, many people, especially young adults, are deciding not to get drivers’ licenses. And moving back to the cities. And not buying cars. We need to rethink this whole paradigm. More to come in another post…Let’s look at our perspective…

No. NO!

Posted on August 23, 2017December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

Two crashes in Louisiana. Two people riding their bikes. Two fatalities. Two opportunities to get it right. Two times they got it wrong. This is a long post, but please read it. Yes, it’s a rant, to some degree, but it’s also a plea to get it right. Knowledge is key…for everyone.

One: On August 17, KLFY reports that a man was riding his bike at 6am (before sunrise) near Baldwin, LA. According to Louisiana State Police, he was riding near the centerline. He was struck from behind by a motorist. Trooper Brooks David reported that as the truck approached the rider, David Maxie, the front of the truck hit the bicycle and Mr. Maxie.

THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK DIDN’T HIT ANYTHING. The driver of the truck, Tyler Sultan, ran into Mr. Maxie. According to the state police, Mr. Maxie did not have the required front and rear lights. So we can all agree that he was not as visible as he should have been. The trooper also noted that Mr. Maxie was not wearing a helmet. [Let me digress for a moment and say that I will not get on my bicycle without wearing a helmet. I think everyone should, whenever they are on their bikes. But there is no legal requirement for adults to do so.] In this case, with a hit-from-behind crash, it is unlikely that wearing a helmet would have made a difference. In this type of crash, there are typically multiple internal organs damaged by the impact of the vehicle or as a consequence of being thrown forward onto the road at high speed.

Here’s where it gets interesting, though. Trooper David continues: “Louisiana State Troopers wish to remind bicyclists to never assume a motorist can see you. Simple precautions such as wearing an approved bicycle helmet, reflective materials and avoiding distractions are key to avoiding crashes and preventing injuries. Louisiana law requires bicyclists remain as close to the right of side of the roadway as possible and obey all traffic laws.”

Let’s restate that: how about also reminding MOTORISTS to never assume the road in front of them is clear. Simple precautions such as wearing a seat belt and avoiding distractions are key to avoiding crashes and preventing injuries.

And by the way, Louisiana law does NOT require bicyclists to remain as close to the right side as possible. It, like the law in all 50 states, requires bicyclists to remain as close to the right side as practicable. That’s an important difference. Practicable means “safe and reasonable.” So if Mr. Maxie needed to move left to avoid debris, or if the shoulder (was there one?) was in poor condition, he was within the letter of the law to do so. But he’s not here to give his side of the story. The law also states that Mr. Sultan was required to yield to other traffic on the roadway and to allow three feet of space when passing a person on a bicycle. Yeah, There’s blame there, too, perhaps.

Two: Lerry Theriot was a bicyclist riding in New Iberia, LA on Tuesday morning at 530am. He was struck and killed by a motorist: hit from behind. In this case, the bicyclist had both front and rear lights as required by law when riding at night. So how was this one reported? State police say they’re investigating whether the lights were visible at the required distance.

Where was Kerry Theriot riding? Near the fog line (as far right as possible in the roadway). What happened then? An SUV hit him. Nope. A person driving an SUV ran into him from behind! What was that person’s name? We don’t know. It’s not reported by KATC. So apparently, an SUV without a driver ran into a man legally riding his bicycle on a roadway. Was it a self-driving car? I doubt it.

The reporting on this one included a reminder from the State Police that motorists should avoid distractions when driving, and suggested bicyclists be aware of the rules when riding between sunset and sunrise. Umm…from the information presented in the news report, Mr. Theriot WAS following the rules. And now he’s dead.

I’ve talked about crashes in other posts. If you’d like to read on, try these: “It was a crash…it was no accident,” “I just crashed! (hypothetically)“

Bicyclists and NJ Police: 2017 version

Posted on June 28, 2017December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

Over the past few weeks, the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition educated nearly 150 law enforcement officers in 50 police departments from seven New Jersey counties in the rules of the road for bike riders. The course, “Title 39: A Bike’s-Eye View,” was created and taught by Les Leathem, NJBWC Education Coordinator. It consists of classroom learning, skills building maneuvers on bikes, and a group ride on local roads. The officers were asked to be in plain clothes and to leave their duty belts home.

The purpose is to help the officers understand how traffic law relates to bike riders, and to give them first-hand experience of what most of us who ride regularly already know: the road is very different when you are on a bike. The course, funded by the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, was held in locations in Atlantic, Hudson, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, and Union Counties in May and June. The Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation funded the course for Morris County.

While New Jersey law gives bicycle riders the same rights and duties as drivers of motor vehicles, many police officers, not being riders themselves, do not have the perspective of traffic from the bike rider’s view; they are not aware of how traffic looks to a bicyclist. They also don’t fully understand the challenges bicyclists face in dealing with motorists. With this course, these officers are now equipped to be more effective in working with bicyclists as drivers. The course was designed to help officers also work with motorists, who often do not understand that bicyclists have a right to use the road in the same way that they do.

The course, developed specifically for New Jersey law enforcement officers, addressed the so-called ‘Three E’s of Traffic Safety’: Education, Engineering, and Enforcement, in a classroom session. Officers then got on bikes and were put through various drills to learn maneuvers that help avoid crashes. Finally, they participated in a group ride that took them on a variety of roads ranging from low-speed, residential streets to major highways, to help them understand what it’s like to be a bike rider on those roads. Not being in police uniforms meant that they were treated like the public – a very different experience than being treated as an officer.

“The road ride session was eye-opening, and the classroom discussion clarified much of traffic law for bicyclists. Talking about applying traffic law to bicyclists and motorists makes it easier to enforce,” said Sergeant Mike Leming of the Manchester Township Police Department.

The course was created in consultation with police officers from around the state. Classes were led by Mr. Leathem, who is also a national coach for the League of American Bicyclists, and by police officers who are LAB League Cycling Instructors. For information about our prior work in this space, click here.

Les Leathem, Education Coordinator, & Cyndi Steiner, Executive Director

Photo credit: Les Leathem

Sweetest cycling experience of all

Posted on May 11, 2017December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

“You haven’t lived until you’ve put on a police uniform and hopped on a mountain bike. My daily commute became four to five minutes faster because drivers fight each other to see who gets to let me in the lane I want. Drivers would sooner cross the yellow line and hit a utility pole than breeze a cop on a bike. I’ve completed centuries and even won races, but this newfound respect is the sweetest cycling experience of all.”

Allan Howard, bicycle patrolman, Dayton, Ohio

I wasn’t planning on blogging today. But then I saw this. This one’s gonna be a bit long, I’ll tell you now. But I hope you’ll stick with me. I believe this is important, and have devoted (and will continue to devote) significant time and energy to it.

Any of you who know me are aware that I have a number of friends who are police officers. Some of them are riding this week in the Police Unity Tour, an annual ride in honor of those who have given their lives while serving. You may also know that I teach a class to law enforcement officers, designed to show them the perspective that one can only see from a saddle: how traffic law applies to people riding bicycles

The perspective that Officer Howard shared is not one that most of us will ever know. As a bicycle officer, his perspective is unique. As someone who understands traffic law from both the motorist’s and the bicyclist’s point of view, the position he occupies is rather unusual. Many police officers don’t understand the viewpoint of a bicyclist, because they, like most people, stopped riding a bike about the same time they learned how to drive a car. Like most people, the security of a metal cage around them creates its own world…a world that is sometimes removed from the environment in which the motorist operates..

And in that world, that “sweetest cycling experience” doesn’t exist. Although most motorists are willing to, and do, “share the road” with bicyclists, there are too many who don’t/won’t. In the classes I teach, we discuss when motor vehicle laws apply to bicyclists (almost all the time, by the way) and when it doesn’t. We talk about the most common infractions committed by bicyclists and by motorists against cyclists. We discuss inconsistencies in laws that make things harder for both bicyclists and motorists, as well as for the officers who are sworn to keep the peace, and keep us safe.

Over the course of a day, we work in the classroom to get an intellectual understanding of all those things, with a focus on how officers can respond to road users in a manner that keeps all of them safe. We also get out on bikes, and that’s when the understanding becomes real, physical, and for some officers, a little scary. Once they’re traveling the roads outside the protection of that metal cage, they begin to understand how and why bicyclists behave the way they do. I see the metaphorical light bulbs switch on as we go through our short rides on the streets these officers patrol. I can almost hear their thoughts: “Oh, wow, I need to turn left here. How in the world can I do that?” “That guy almost hit me!””She’s looking right at me, but I don’t think she sees me!”

In one class, the moment we turned onto the road at the entrance to the police academy, ALL the officers immediately jumped up onto the sidewalk! I made them get onto the street right away, and some of them commented right then and there that they had a better understanding of what it means to ride a bike on the road. Five miles later, when we were back at the academy, some were a bit shaken. I had taken them on a major arterial road with no shoulder – a road that MANY citizens in that town ride on every day. The officers thanked me for making them more aware.

The class has made a difference. I surveyed participants in the 2015 sessions one year later, and found that 100% of respondents used the information they learned in the class to educate both bicyclists and motorists. So my impact on a few impacted others, and the ripples began to spread.

The way I see it, educating bicyclists and motorists one at a time means it will take a VERY long time for the culture to change. By educating those who can impact others, maybe we can get the work done sooner. That’s my hope, anyway. I’ll be working with more officers in coming weeks, in 8 counties in New Jersey. I’m also working towards getting a similar program up and running in Louisiana. It’s taking time to get things moving here, but I’ve got time. And energy.

Bicycle!

Posted on May 8, 2017December 19, 2020 by ljleathem

“Act Bicycle! Speak Bicycle! Write Bicycle! Advise Bicycle! Impact Bicycle! Meet Bicycle! Recruit Bicycle! Persist Bicycle! Subscribe Bicycle! Communicate Bicycle!

–Roger Hertz, cycling advocate

What he said. Yep. The mind immediately jumps to the folks who are in front of politicians or talking to the press about “cycling issues.” Of course these people are advocates and they do a lot for the rest of us. But not all of us have the will or wherewithal to do that kind of advocacy.

Here are some of the other advocates: The road rider out on rural roads. The commuter who rides to work…in the rain or snow…in February. The adult with the trailer on the back pulling the little ones. The trail riders. The charity riders. Triathletes. And the folks who put together and lead social rides through our cities at night.

All of these ARE “communicating bicycle,” with every mile they ride. But what are they communicating? How do we act, speak, write, advise, impact, meet, recruit, persist, and subscribe? Are we modeling good behavior? We are told that everyone must share the road, and that bicyclists and motorists share the “same roads, same rules, same rights.” But how do we put it into practice? Motorists insist that “bicyclists never follow the law. They blow through stop signs, they run red lights, they ride the wrong way!” Yes, some do, and when they do, the message they communicate is that they don’t care about the rules as they apply to bicycles.

But motorists often fail to notice that they are often scofflaws, as well. How many motorists never go faster than the speed limit? How many come to a complete stop at every stop sign? OK, that’s what I thought. So perhaps their sanctimonious feelings are a bit misplaced, hmm?

We’re all guilty, just of different offenses.

So remember, whenever, however, wherever you ride, you ARE an advocate. And what you communicate matters.