Don’t ‘ride’ your bike
Follow traffic laws to ensure safety
By David Brown
CM th« Emerald
Between 5 and 10 percent of all
inner city commuters in Eugene ride
bikes, says Charles Norgaard, one of
two Eugene bicycle coordinators
In such a heavily cycled city,
bicycle safety becomes crucial.
It becomes especially important on
the road, where cyclists are subject
to the same traffic laws and
regulations as motorists
There were 49 collisions between
bicycles and autos in the first six
months of this year, according to
police reports In 1981. there were
109 reported accidents; in 1980, 147
accidents
Many accidents occur when
motorists made a right or left turn
into the path of cyclists riding
alongside their car, or when
motorists pulled in front of cyclists
after stopping at an intersection
Sometimes drivers are not aware of
cyclists traveling on “contra-flow"
bike lanes that run against one-way
motor traffic such as on Alder Street,
Norgaard says
To reduce the accident problem on
Alder Street in the west University
neighborhood, the city placed signs
at side streets and alleys warning
drivers of two-way bicycle traffic
Accidents typically decrease while
ridership increases in areas where
the city installs bicycle traffic
facilities, Norgaard says
Deaths from auto/bicycle
accidents have hovered between two
and three during the last three years,
he says
In some cases, crash victims have
died of injuries which might have
been minimized it the cyclist had
been wearing a bicycle helmet,
according to police reports
Norgaard says the cost of a helmet
can look disproportionate to that of a
cheap used bike for some students,
but "You have to say, How much is
your life worth ' "
"It's definitely dangerous," says
Jean Snyder, owner of a bicycle
messenger service "You have to be
aware of everything around you You
have to make motorists aware that
you are there "
City police issued
578 citations in
1982 to cyclists
A study conducted in 1979
suggests that traffic accident reports
equal only three of every ten bicycle
injuries. Most cycling injuries involve
collisions with other bikes, stationary
objects, or pedestrians, according to
the study
Bicyclists don't have the same
learned behavior that motorists have,
says Norgaard A bicyclist who rides
down the left side of the road
probably learned to walk against
traffic as a pedestrian, he explains
"Last year about 150 citations were
issued to bicyclists, and that upset us
because we feel that citations are our
only real form of education "
The Eugene police department has
been more stringent in enforcing
bicycle regulations this year,
according to statistics Bicyclists
received 578 citations through
August, of which 170 were for
disobeying traffic lights and 148 for
running stop signs
Cyclists who treat a stop sign as a
yield sign may feel they have enough
time to assess traffic, but Norgaard
says giving bicyclists such an
allowance would make police
judgement very difficult
But more importantly, he stresses,
it would set a inappropriate example
for children
Children learn by adult example,
but do not have an adult's ability to
judge the flow of traffic, Norgaard
says He refers to an accident this
August in which a 2-year-old was
seriously injured while apparently
riding on the handle bars of his
12-year-old nephew's bike. A van
struck them as they crossed Belt Line
Highway against a red light.
The idea that a bicycle is just a
recreational vehicle has got to go,
Norgaard says
Snyder agrees "Signal your
intentions Establish eye contact with
motorists, and wave thank you
When bicyclists disobey the law, it
really ticks the motorists off "
New bike map,
journal offered
Need bicycling directions?
Eugene acquired two new guides this
summer for two-wheeler fans
The new bike map details the city 's
growing 75 mile bike path system, and
for those interested in social cycling,
Cycling Alternatives Network has begun
publishing a newsletter by the same
name, according to CAN founder Jean
Snyder
The latest Eugene bicycle map. 18
inches by 24 inches, is printed on paper
resistant to rain and rough handling
It denotes on-road, off-road and
suggested bike routes using a color
code overlaid on a vividly detailed graph
of city streets and parks It shows
inclines exceeding 6 degrees, bike
repair shops and pedaling times from
downtown
Its reverse side diagrams two different
methods of turning left at an
intersection and other answers to safety
questions, such as when not to pass a
car
CAN s monthly newsletter provides a
"one stop” briefing on concerns such
as safety, city facilities, and theft.
Tneft prevention, Snyder says, is one
of CAN'S goals "When you get your
bike stolen, it strikes really close."
The letter also includes articles on
various cycling club activities, an events
calendar, and CAN meeting dates.
September's issue contains an article
on a bus service equipped to transport
bikes to the coast.
The newsletter is free on the racks of
the Survival Center and the Outdoor
Program in the EMU.
The map sells for $150 at most
local community centers, bike shops,
and bookstores, including the
University Bookstore.
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