The best way to improve safety for cyclists in a city...

"Paul R" wrote
7) Licensing for cyclists - they must prove they know how to ride safely in
traffic


Great points Paul. I think #7 is best in theory but how can it be put into practice?
Like car exams? I guess.

When I was about 11 years old, my school had a bike safety course for an hour
a week for six weeks, after school hours. My mother signed me up coz I was
spending a lot of time on streets riding my BMX ( the 1st time it was around -
circa 1982). I was downright embarrassed in front of my friends just for being
one of the 'geeks' that was taking part, ye know what kids are like.

Anyway, my point is that more than 20 years later I still remember little things
from that course ( safe turns/signals/observation etc) and I still signal automatically,
the exact way that we were thought.

Maybe it could be introduced at a young age?

....outlaw taxis

:-)

In article ,
"Hugh Jass" writes:

"Paul R" wrote
7) Licensing for cyclists - they must prove they know how to ride safely in
traffic


Great points Paul. I think #7 is best in theory

NNNNnnnooooooo!!!!

There has never been a need for formal testing & licensing
of bicyclists -- no more than for pedestrians. To inflict
such formality on just plain gettin' around is just too
majestically overblown.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

"Tom Keats" wrote
"Hugh Jass" writes:

Great points Paul. I think #7 is best in theory


OK. I meant training as opposed to licensing.


NNNNnnnooooooo!!!!

There has never been a need for formal testing & licensing
of bicyclists -- no more than for pedestrians. To inflict
such formality on just plain gettin' around is just too
majestically overblown.


I disagree. I'm on the road most of the day and see so many
people that cannot ride a bike properly. While educating drivers
is paramount, it would be nice as a cyclist if he/she had an instinct
to control a dodgy situation.

Oh...I have to chime in here! I was traveling down a mtn road on my
road bike when a butt-head turned in front of me then backed out in
front of me! I have 30' of skidmarks and I probably slammed into the
jeep liberty at about 35+ mph! The helmet saved my bee hind! I did
suffer a concussion (I do not to this day remember my crash!) I did
break 3 ribs..punctured a lung and had severe nerve damage to my left
arm! wanna see pixs? Check my website!

http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/robert.light

Helmets work! Wear one! I am lucky as hell!

Pedal On,

Bob Light



Helmets should be something like 30th on the list, btw, they can
certainly
work, but preventing falling down is the priority right? :P In car/bike
interactions, if you get whacked hard, wearing a helmet won't help a
great
deal when your chest gets crushed. It'll certainly be of use if you
take a
little spill sliding out in a corner or something like that of
course...


--
LightCycles

Hugh Jass wrote:

When I was about 11 years old, my school had a bike safety course for
an hour
a week for six weeks, after school hours. My mother signed me up coz
I was
spending a lot of time on streets riding my BMX ( the 1st time it was
around -
circa 1982). I was downright embarrassed in front of my friends just
for being
one of the 'geeks' that was taking part, ye know what kids are like.

They did this when I was a kid too. But we all did it, and no one thought it
was geeky. *Most* kids rode bikes to school. Sadly, in the same neighborhood,
almost no kids ride bikes anymore. And nothing has changed to explain this,
except the culture.

Anyway, my point is that more than 20 years later I still remember
little things
from that course ( safe turns/signals/observation etc) and I still
signal automatically, the exact way that we were thought.

Maybe it could be introduced at a young age?

I think this kind of training early on makes kids better drivers later in life.

Matt O.

Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:16:37 -0500, ,
"Matt O'Toole" wrote:


Anyway, my point is that more than 20 years later I still remember
little things
from that course ( safe turns/signals/observation etc) and I still
signal automatically, the exact way that we were thought.

Maybe it could be introduced at a young age?

I think this kind of training early on makes kids better drivers later in life.

Yep, in 2nd year high school driver training, at fifteen and a half
years old, it was like, 'What are you going through all this stuff
for? We learned this on our bikes in third through sixth grade.'

A motorcycle safety course taught me more about driving and riding a
bicycle.
--
zk

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 22:42:03 -0500, "Hugh Jass"
wrote:


"Tom Keats" wrote
"Hugh Jass" writes:

Great points Paul. I think #7 is best in theory


OK. I meant training as opposed to licensing.


NNNNnnnooooooo!!!!

There has never been a need for formal testing & licensing
of bicyclists -- no more than for pedestrians. To inflict
such formality on just plain gettin' around is just too
majestically overblown.


I disagree. I'm on the road most of the day and see so many
people that cannot ride a bike properly. While educating drivers
is paramount, it would be nice as a cyclist if he/she had an instinct
to control a dodgy situation.

Oh yeah, licensing will solve that problem. Just as licensing makes
drivers obey the laws and the roads safer.

Michael J. Klein
Dasi Jen, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
---------------------------------------------

"Paul R" wrote in message
...
What do you think is the best way to improve safety for cyclists in a
city?
Why?

1) Mandatory helmet laws for all cyclists with strict enforcement.
2) Enforce existing laws against drivers.
3) Education for drivers on handling cyclists safely
4) Better traffic planning. Extensive changes to existing infrastructure.
Widen streets or remove extra lane.
5) Extensive system of bike paths
6) Provide significant tax breaks for cyclists
7) Licensing for cyclists -

2, 3, and 4. 6 would be nice.

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 22:42:03 -0500, "Hugh Jass"
wrote:

I'm on the road most of the day and see so many
people that cannot ride a bike properly.

One large study in Oxford showed that about one in four cyclists are
responsible for crashes in which they are injured, but over half of
pedestrians. Pedestrian license anyone?

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University