With warm weather, cyclists are out - advice for motorists & cyclsists from Rolla Police Chief

Rolla, MO, Chief of Police Mark Kearse has issued some good advice for bicyclists and motorists via a Rolla Daily News article:

In the event that warmer weather ever arrives, we will anticipate local cyclists hitting the streets and bike trails in an effort to shed winter baggage and blues. We encourage motorists to use caution and share the road with cyclists as they travel around the community. 

Share the Road

Please remember by Missouri law, bicyclists are allowed to use the road. By law, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as other vehicle drivers. When passing cyclists, common sense and standard traffic law says that “drivers shall pass at a safe distance.” Squeezing past is simply unsafe and illegal!

Be sure to use special care around young cyclists and pedestrians. Young bicyclists are frequently unpredictable and present a special challenge for drivers. Approach such cyclists at a safe speed and leave extra distance between your vehicle and the cyclist for safety.

Young cyclists and pedestrians often emerge unexpectedly from behind parked cars or from driveways and side streets. They may be around a curve or over a hill, so please slow down and expect to see people cycling and walking.

On the other side of the coin, cyclists, remember safety depends on how you ride, not where. Be sure to cooperate with other drivers by following all the rules of the road. Stop and yield to cross traffic before entering a road from a driveway or sidewalk.

Be sure to stop for stop signs and red lights at intersections. Be predictable and visible! Ride with traffic and never against it. Use hand signals and communicate with other drivers. Check traffic before merging and wear a helmet!

Rolla has an active cycling community.  Recently MoDOT installed "Share the Road" signs on many miles of routes commonly used by cyclists in the area--one of the projects on the Missouri High Priority Bicycle, Pedestrian, and ADA Projects List that was submitted by area cyclists.

Find a list of the best road, gravel, trail, and mountain bike rides in the area at the Route 66 Bicycles web site.