Cyclists are vulnerable road users and are most at risk when sharing the roads with other drivers. There are few roads in South Africa that can be described as “cycling friendly”, and our cyclists have to rely mostly on their own alertness and that of other drivers sharing the roads with them.
In Colorado a “bicycle safety bill” was signed on Monday by Governor Bill Ritter to clarify share-the-road requirements and keep Coloradans safe. From the 5th of August drivers who don’t give cyclists three feet of space when passing risk a $110 ticket. Anyone who throws an object at a cyclist could be charged with a misdemeanour and face penalties up to $1,000 and 12 months in jail.
The Bill also requires safe conduct from cyclists:
– Cyclists must ride as far to side as is safe
– Cyclist can pass one another or ride two-abreast if they don’t impede the normal movement of traffic.
The behaviour of cyclists and other road users are often difficult to enforce and self enforcement through a change of attitude is perhaps the best way to improve the safety of these vulnerable road users!
We would like to invite all road users to increase their awareness of safe cycling. View the following sections:
[The Photo from Associated Press: “A car collides into cyclists participating in a race in Mexico’s northern border city of Matamoros, Sunday June 1, 2008. At least one person was killed and 14 injured when an alleged drunk driver slammed into a bicycle race.”]