“Chief urges bikers to follow safety rules”
Posted on July 12, 2007 in Crime & Law Enforcement, Sports & Recreation by DM
Okay, I’ll admit it: that headline made me bristle without even reading the article. As a motorcyclist, I can attest to the butt-puckering sensation one gets when a driver with a cell phone pasted to their head decides to turn left in front of you or run a red light, all while operating a 3,500-pound vehicle.
Er… wait, what? Turns out the article’s not about admonishing motorcyclists at all. It’s about warning bicyclists to obey traffic laws. (”Oh great,” I think, “that will go over well with The Mostly Reverend.) The Waukee police chief says that bike/car accidents will be reduced if riders obey the traffic rules. That seems like a reasonable proposition, but sharing the road is (pardon the pun) a two-way street.
Car and truck drivers must pay closer attention to their own surroundings. They must be better trained to understand that bikes and motorcycles are just as entitled to use the roadway as an Escalade. And they must slow down, look all ways before pulling out from side streets, and stop at red lights instead of zooming through. And you know what else? They must be punished when their negligence results in an injury or death.
We all - drivers, bikers and cyclists - have a right to use the roadway. Your destination is no more important than anyone else’s - if it were, you’d be riding in an ambulance. So everyone, please: obey the rules, and share the road, and don’t become an accident report.
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2 comments to ““Chief urges bikers to follow safety rules””
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Shouldn’t that apply to pedestrians too. I was walking down Woodland Avenue near Valley High School today when I noticed that the sidewalks on both sides of Woodland had been gutted. In one case, I had to walk out into the traffic on Woodland; in another case, I had to walk through the parking lot surrounding an office building on the north side of Woodland Avenue. (The north side of Valley High School has been torn out; I think they are going to put in a parking lot and a new addition there by the end of this year.) What are your thoughts?
Joel, safe to say everyone should follow the rules - but not sure how you’re supposed to stay on the sidewalk when there isn’t one
One of the issues regarding pedestrians is the use of crosswalks - the issue being that people increasingly ignore them. There’s a spot over on Douglas, just west of Plaza Lanes, where there’s a convenience store right across from an apartment complex. People - including children - are constantly crossing this very busy street with no traffic control whatsoever. Much as I hate to be the one sounding like the safety patrol, I really feel this spot is an accident waiting to happen.