Yearly rash of spring accidents brings the question: How can we bicycle safely?

At least two more area youngsters were injured in bicycle-motor vehicle collisions this week. A boy was injured in south Kansas City crossing Holmes Road at 91st Street. The police indicate that the motorist had the right-of-way. A Kansas City, KS, boy was hit and killed by a van. Police reported that the boy rode through a stop sign at 47th and Oak Grove Road, although his mother had a slightly different story. (See KMBC coverage here). MoBikeFed news has recently covered the death of a young cyclist near Linn, MO. That young cyclist was riding against traffic, after dark with no lights.

Every spring and fall our region experiences a rash of bicycle-related accidents, as good weather brings cyclists out. Motorists haven't seen many bicyclists or pedestrians out on the streets for months, and haven't yet adjusted their driving to allow for the possibility of pedestrians and cyclists--and roller bladers, skateboarders, joggers, and all the rest--sharing the streets.

From the point of view of the experienced cyclist, most of these accidents are very preventable.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation reminds both motorists and bicyclists that bicycling can be a very safe and healthful sport if both motorists and cyclists remember a few things:

Motorists--please share the road:
An overwhelming majority of Americans support the creation of communities that are safe for bicycling and walking. Communities across the nation, including Missouri communities, have spent millions of dollars to make the roads safer for those who walk and cycle. But individual drivers can do more than anyone to make the roads safer--by driving at reasonable speeds, expecting and welcoming bicyclists and pedestrians, slowing for pedestrians and cyclists, and leaving plenty of room when passing pedestrians and cyclists on the streets. Remember that if cyclists and pedestrians were not out walking and riding, they would probably be out driving, creating traffic congestion and slowing you even more!

When you pass a bicyclist on the street, remember:

• Bicyclists are, by state and local ordinance, lawful users of the public roads. Cyclists are allowed to use the road and have the same rights and duties as other vehicle drivers--the same rights and duties, neither more nor less.
  
• When passing cyclists, common sense and standard traffic law says that Drivers shall pass at a safe distance. Overtaking drivers must pass safely; squeezing past is simply unsafe--whether passing a bicycle, a pedestrian, or a motor vehicle.
  
• If bicyclists squeeze over to the right, they endanger themselves. They end up squeezing between hazards, sliding on sand or debris, or colliding with parked car doors. Common sense and the law allow bicyclists to ride as far to the left of such roadside hazards as needed for safety.
  
• If the lane is too narrow for the motorist to safely pass the bicyclist within the lane, while still allowing the cyclist a safe buffer-distance from both roadside hazards and the passing vehicle, the law asks the driver to wait behind for a safe chance to pass; the delay is rarely more than a few seconds. Remember that it is almost always much easier to pass a person on a bicycle than that same person driving an automobile.

Young cyclists present a special challenge for drivers. They often disregard the rules of the road. Yet Missouri law asks drivers to exercise the "highest degree of care" even--or especially--when others are not:

• Young bicyclists are often unpredictable. They stop or turn with little warning. Approach such cyclists at a safe speed and leave an extra distance between yourself and the cyclist for safety. Remember how you rode when you were that age--you probably weren't very predictable, either!
  
• Young cyclists (and pedestrians) often emerge unexpectedly from behind parked cars or from driveways and side streets. They can be walking or riding just over the top of a blind hill or around the next blind curve. Motorists can increase the margin of safety on city streets by slowing down and expecting the possibility of cyclists and pedestrians on all city streets.
  
• Be especially cautious of young cyclists and pedestrians at dusk. Many people--young and old--are still out and about at this time of day. Cyclists and pedestrians are very difficult to see in the dusk. Use extra caution and reduce speed accordingly. Missouri law asks drivers to drive with extra care and slow down when needed for safety--for instance, when it is difficult to see.

Citizens concerned about scofflaw riding by young bicyclists can work with schools and youth groups to institute bicycling training and classes; such classes are very inexpensive and have been shown to dramatically change riding habits and improve children's safety.

Young cyclists may be "dangerous" on the road, but remember that they are far less dangerous--both to themselves and to others--on a bicycle than they would be behind the wheel of an automobile.

Cyclists--following common-sense traffic rules increases your safety many times:
For cyclists, safety depends on how you ride, not where. Millions enjoy bicycling in traffic throughout their lives without collision or trouble. The safest cyclists have taught themselves to politely cooperate with other drivers by using all the rules of the road:

• Stop. Stop and yield to cross traffic before entering a road from a driveway or sidewalk. Stop at stop signs. Stop when you have the red at traffic signals. Motorists follow these rules because they make the streets safe and predictable for everyone--you should, too.
  
• Be predictable and visible. Ride down the street in a straight line; don't hide behind clutter or parked cars, only to zoom back into the travel lane when your path is blocked. Good drivers don't weave all over the road--neither should you.
  
• Ride with traffic. Ride the same direction as traffic, never against traffic. Motorists don't expect to see a fast-moving vehicle (a bicycle) coming up the left side of the street--they usually don't even look there when starting off from a stop sign, for instance.
  
• Signal. Use arm signals to communicate with other road users--left turn, right turn, slow, and so on. If you communicate with motorists they will cooperate with you.
  
• Check traffic before merging. Before moving left in the lane for any reason, signal and look over your shoulder to check for traffic. Away from traffic, practice looking over your shoulder until you can do it while maintaining a straight line.
  
• Wear a helmet. A helmet won't keep you out of an accident--don't think it will. Your helmet is a lot like your seat belt in your car--wear it all the time as "insurance," but then drive so safely that you never need that insurance.
  
• Lights on at dusk. Use a red light in the rear and a white light on the front, whenever you ride at dusk or after dark. Reflectors are not enough. The front light is even more important than the rear light (a reflector helps in the rear where car headlights strike it, but doesn't on the front of a bicycle, where car's headlights do not strike it in important situations). Motorists try to avoid hitting a cyclist they can see, but an unlighted bicycle at night is nearly invisible to motorists. More about lights:
  
  • Both front and rear lights are required by state law.
    
  • Inexpensive lights can be purchased at any store that sells bicycles.
    
  • Parents should know that about half of the young people seriously injured or killed in bicycle accidents in Missouri were riding after dark with no lights. Parents--don't let your kids ride at night without lights!

Cycling in cooperation with traffic and the law is an exhilarating and enjoyable experience. Many studies show that "Cooperative Cycling"--following the rules of the road and using front and rear lights starting at dusk--is a very safe activity. Cooperative Cyclists are statistically as safe as motorists and up to twenty times safer than scofflaw cyclists.

Done right, cycling is a quick, easy, healthful, and fun way to get from here to there.

Ride on!