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@All: Did the WAMU story run? Otherwise unusual for comments on an old post.
@R R Bike. Maryland is doing something along the lines of what you suggest, though perhaps not enough. The Maryland Driver Manual has a section on cycling that was drafted by the advocates, endorsed by MD's BPAC, and accepted with minimal edits. It also has a section on all traffic control devices, but R4-11 had not been adopted so it is not in the manual--yet. Requiring drivers to learn what that sign means will do some good.

But of course, relying on the drivers test will take two generations. Signs, PSA's, and enforcement are needed as well. There is a broken-windows problem with traffic enforcement, which probably starts with the failure to stop for pedestrians.

Cyclists can teach drivers too: While I may be in a minority, I also think that rigid adherence to the law by vehicular cyclists is also important, because the driver who sees you do a full-stop at a traffic light might assume that you know the law when you take the lane for about a minute and then pull over at a convenient point to let her pass.

@Devil's advocate: Do you really believe that children need liability insurance to ride a bike? (The vast majority of adyult cyclists have sufficient assets or garnishable wages to pay for whatever damages they will ever do--drivers with no more than the mandatory minimum liability coverage (or no coverage) are a far more serious problems than cyclists unable to pay for damages they cause.)

by Jim Titus on Aug 15, 2012 11:04 am • link • report