When motorists run red lights, drive on the sidewalk or trail- blaze by cruising down the wrong side of the road, they are labelled menaces, get monstrous numbers of tickets and possibly even go to prison — and rightly so.
Few people, even when intoxicated, are so irresponsible. Such behaviour is inexcusable. Pleas of ignorance wouldn’t cut it. Putting the public so dangerously at risk carries a price.
Why then, do so many cyclists feel they are exempt from the rules of the road? When they run red lights, dart into traffic, and wave to cars as they fly by in the same lane while going in the opposite direction, they seem completely oblivious that they are doing anything wrong, even when sober.
It is just as important for cyclists to obey the rules of the road as it is for motorists. The laws are put in place for everyone who uses the road, not just those who need a key to start their vehicles.
Apparently, drivers who have had close calls and have nearly ended up with a two-wheeled hood ornament aren’t the only ones unimpressed. To make city streets safer for all, police are cracking down by imposing fines on cyclists who break the law.
Two things are surprising about these fines. The first is that they’re so small. The fine for riding on the sidewalk is $35. What kind of fine would a SUV driver get for the same infraction? Such a small slap on the wrist is more of an inconvenience than a deterrent.
The second is that cyclists who get them are often shocked. “Who me? What? I only ran a red light, cut off three vehicles and caused a near-fatal collision.”
One such cyclist was outraged at having gotten a ticket for running a stop sign the other day. He might have agreed that he deserved the ticket if a motorist, who had swerved to avoid hitting him, had ended up in hospital.
That’s not to say cycling isn’t a worthy endeavour. It reduces pollution, traffic and makes people more fit. In fact, the City’s preparation plan for the year 2020 hopes for more bikes on city streets.
However, the City doesn’t need any martyrs to the cause.
The last thing anyone wants to hear is, “I was enjoying the sunny day, reducing pollutants and working my leg muscles until I ran a red light and got hit by a transport truck.”
But good intentions can quickly be negated by irresponsible actions.
Luckily, there are groups such as Citizens for Safe Cycling who help reduce these irresponsible actions by offering educational programs that encourage road safety.
There is also a litany of responsible cyclists who set a positive example for their peers.
To these people, we owe our thanks. They give us hope for safer roads. However, when it comes to matters of public safety, is hope enough?
— Stephanie Lewis