Kansas City TV station's coverage of crash involving bicycles worries bicycle community

Kansas City's Channel 5 news covered a mishap involving two bicyclists and a motorist Friday. The bicyclists were riding two abreast when the motorist tried to pass them on a curve. The motorist's side mirror struck the outside bicyclist, causing them both to be pushed off the road and fall in the grass.

The bicyclists maintain that the motorist swerved right just as he pulled even with the bicyclists, intentionally forcing them off the road.

The bicyclists were riding on Blue River Road, a very popular route for Kansas City bicyclists. Bicyclists have requested, but city officials have resisted, posting "Share the Road" signs on the commonly used route.

Area bicyclists have been critical of the two bicyclists for not singling up when a motor vehicle approached from the rear. But they have also been concerned that the TV report gives an inaccurate picture of the bicyclist's and motorist's rights and responsibilities on the road, and an inaccurate portrayal of Missouri traffic law.

In particular, the report gives the impression that if bicyclists are riding too far over into the lane, motorists may hit them, intentionally or not, and suffer no consequences (see MOBikeFed's Missouri Traffic Law page for the citations clearly showing that this is not true).

The report, citing the police statements, said that the bicyclists should be riding on the shoulder (about 6-12 inches wide at that point) and did not belong in the travel lane, because the traffic lane belongs to the car:

Police say technically it was the cyclists who broke the law here today because by riding two abreast with very little shoulder they were in the traffic lane, that traffic lane belonging to the car, they say. In the end, though, they didn't cite anyone.

The KCTV5 story can be read and viewed here (note that the written version is just a summary and does not include some of the most disturbing details of the video version).

If you would like to contact KCTV5 about the story, please be polite and thank them for their continuing coverage of bicycling issues (no other station has covered any of the recent spate of bicycle/motorist incidents in Kansas City, and Channel 5 has historically given coverage to bicycling issues when other stations have not been as willing).

The Greater Kansas City Bicycle Federation plans to work with KCMO police department to better educate their officers about the law and practice of safe bicycling.