Hold the bus!

Recently, I’ve received a number of e-mails from bicyclists in my area regarding dangerous encounters with drivers. The following is a excerpt from one… followed by a response from another rider. I believe it’s important to respond to these threats and to follow through, if possible. Bicycle commuting and riding will increase as we move into a era of more bicycle commuting. It’s vital that we stand up for our rights!

I’ve edited out the names - it’s the incident and follow through that are important.

From a recent e-mail:
I’m asking for your help in dealing with a dangerous situation for bicyclist in Nevada County.

On Monday, September 15, 2008, a ********* bus came dangerously close to hitting me while I was commuting to work by bicycle. I was riding up the narrow portion of Sacramento St. between the Highway 49/20 on-ramp and the ******* Bike Shop in Nevada City between 6:30 and 7:00 am. A car was coming down the hill and the bus was heading up the hill. In spite of the narrow lane width, the bus driver decided to squeeze through the tight gap between me and the car. I could have reached out with my left hand and easily touched the bus w/o even fully extending my arm. The bus driver didn’t even bother slowing down. I estimate he passed me at about 25 mph.

That afternoon I phoned the bus company and spoke with a woman named *****. I explained the incident to her and told her this was not a first encounter for me. I asked her to write up a formal incident report on the driver and explained that I was going to file a police report. She was sympathetic and said she would bring it up at the safety meeting with the drivers to be held Wednesday.

Tuesday morning I waited at the bus stop so I could speak with the driver. I found out his name from a passenger waiting to board the bus. This passenger remembered the close encounter as he had been on the bus the previous morning. I introduced myself to him and asked him why he had placed my life in jeopardy. He initially feigned ignorance. Upon further questioning he “remembered” the incident. Without going into detail, his basic response was “I saw you.” and “I wasn’t going to hit you.” I guess that’s a gamble he’s willing to make. I asked him to make a different choice next time: Wait until you have enough room to pass safely.

I spoke with the bus company representative on Tuesday afternoon and told her I was extremely worried about the drivers lack of concern over a bicyclist safety. I asked her to ask her drivers if they would feel comfortable standing less than an arms length from the right side of a bus driving past them at 25 mph. I also filed a police report.

This is about the fourth or fifth time I’ve come close to being struck by a ******* bus in the past two to three years. In one of those previous encounters I was riding up the hill in the bike lane. The bus cut the corner and was traveling in the bike lane when it nearly struck me. I reported that incident to the bus company. The person I spoke to said there wasn’t a bus traveling that route at that spot at that time of day! Another incident was near the fairgrounds as I was heading into Grass Valley. Once again, the bus entered the clearly delineated shoulder area and came within arms length of striking me. This time it was on a straight stretch of road.

I spoke with several bike riding friends about this recent encounter. I found I am not the only person who has had a near miss with a bus while bicycling in Nevada County.

I would like to keep a bicyclist from being hit by a local bus by getting the bus company to take our concerns seriously. With this in mind I propose the following: Anytime you have a Too Close For Comfort encounter with a bus: 1) Call the bus company. Report the incident to them and ask them to write-up that particular driver. They will want to know where the encounter occurred and at what time. They will be able to determine who the driver was with that info. 2) Call the appropriate police department or sheriff’s office and file a report. 3) Send a short email to me with details of the incident. I’ll keep them on file for future reference. 4) If you hear of a cyclist being struck by a bus please contact me.

If the bus company gets enough complaints then maybe they can convince their drivers that there is a problem. They may also be able to determine if all the drivers are at fault, or if only one or two drivers need to be dealt with. Also, if the worst happens and a bicyclist is struck, there will be a paper trail indicating that the bus comapny failed to deal with a pattern of dangerous driving.

Thanks for your help.

And, a response from another rider…
Fuel for the fire: In 5 years of riding almost daily from Nevada City, I’ve
had more close calls with buses than I have with pickup
trucks. I applaud your efforts to address these issues with the authority
head-on, but my gut feeling is that the drivers would just as soon see
cyclists squished like bugs as heading home for dinner. I doubt a casual
reprimand will change anything.

- Thanks to the riders who sent these to me!

September 24th, 2008 | Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Commuting, Safety | Category: Advocacy, Bicycling, Commuting, Law |

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Playing by the rules

Over the past few days, I’ve talked with many bicyclists who complained of seemingly unprovoked rude behavior by motorists. Several wondered how we could educate motorists about our perspective. Now, that is a problem! I just can’t seem to catch up with cars for a “Frank” discussion… “Hand signs” don’t seem to help either, no matter how good they feel or justified they may be.

We can’t do too much about “them.”

However, we can “play by the rules.” When we ride, we’re ambassadors for the sport. If we run stop signs, bunch up or are rude and/or inconsiderate, we’re representing bicyclists…

Share the road. Be kind and courteous. You may be helping another bicyclist down the road!

Here are the “rules.”

- Frank Pedrick

This information is from the C.I.C.L.E. (Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange) web site. If you would like to look at the California Vehicle Code, go here (California Vehicle Code as it pertains to bicycles).

Learning the rules of the road is key to being a safe bicyclist. The following are important excerpts from the California Vehicle Code (VC) relating to the operation and equipping of bicycles.

Bicycle Defined. VC 231

Defines bicycle as a device upon which any person may ride, propelled exclusively by human power through a belt, chain, or gears and having one or more wheels. Specifically provides that persons riding bicycles are subject to Vehicle Code provisions specified in Sections 21200 and 21200.5 (see below).

Bicycle Use. VC 21200

Every person riding a bicycle upon a street or highway has all the rights and is subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, including the provisions of law dealing with driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

Bicycling Under Influence of Alcohol or Drugs. VC 21200.5

Provides that it is unlawful to ride a bicycle upon a street or highway while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or drug or the combination of alcohol and a drug, punishable by a fine of up to $250. A person arrested may request a chemical test. If the person is under 21 but over 13 years of age, his or her driving privilege will be suspended for one year or delayed for one year once the person is eligible to drive.

Equipment Requirements. VC 21201

a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

b) No person shall operate on the highway any bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate their hands above the level of their shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.

c) No person shall operate upon any highway a bicycle which is of such a size as to prevent the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner.

d) Every bicycle operated upon any highway during darkness shall be equipped with the following:

A lamp emitting a white light which illuminates the highway and is visible from a distance of 300 feet to the front and the sides of the bicycle.
A red reflector mounted on the rear of the bicycle and visible from 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle.
A white or yellow reflector mounted on each pedal visible 200 feet to the front and rear of the bicycle and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except bicycles which are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with side reflectors. All reflectorized tires must meet DMV requirements.

e) A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle, may be used in place of a lamp attached to the bike.

Duty of Bicycle Operator: Operation On Roadway. VC 21202

a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

When overtaking and passing another bicycle or motor vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge. For purposes of this section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

b) Any person operating a bicycle on a one-way street or highway with two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of such roadway as practicable.

Hitching Rides. VC 21203

No person riding upon any motorcycle, motorized bicycle, bicycle, coaster, roller skates, sled, or toy vehicle shall attach the same or themselves to any streetcar or vehicle on the roadway.

Riding On Bicycle. VC 21204

a) No person operating a bicycle on a highway shall ride other than on a permanent and regular attached seat.

b) No person operating a bicycle on a highway shall allow anyone to ride as a passenger other than on a separate attached seat. If the passenger is four years old or younger or weighs 40 pounds or less, the seat shall adequately retain the passenger in place and protect him/her from the bicycle’s moving parts.

Carrying Articles. VC 21205

No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the operator from keeping at least one hand upon the handlebars.

Permitted Movements from Bicycle Lanes. VC 21208

a) Whenever a bicycle lane has been established on a roadway, any person operating a bicycle upon the roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction shall ride in the bicycle lane, except under the following situations.

When overtaking or passing another bicycle, vehicle, or pedestrian within the lane or about to enter the lane if such overtaking and passing cannot be done safely within the lane.
When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
When necessary to leave the lane to avoid debris or other hazardous conditions.

b) No operator of a bicycle shall leave a bicycle lane until it can be done safely and then only after giving an appropriate hand signal in the event that any vehicle might be affected by the movement.

Parking. VC 21210

No person shall leave a bicycle lying on its side on any sidewalk, or shall park a bicycle on a sidewalk in any other position, so that there is not an adequate path for pedestrian traffic. Local authorities may prohibit bicycle parking in designated areas of the public highway, provided appropriate signs are erected.

Obstruction of Bikeways. VC 21211

No person shall place or park a bicycle or vehicle so as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of any bicyclist on a bikeway or bicycle path or trail unless the placement or parking is necessary for safe operation or otherwise in compliance with the law.

Youth Helmets. VC 21212

Prohibits persons under 18 from riding or being a passenger on a bicycle without wearing helmets meeting specified standards (ANSI or SNELL). Violations are punishable by a fine of not more than $25.

Bicycles on Roadways VC 21650.1

A bicycle operated on a roadway or highway shoulder shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to drive upon the roadway.

Bicycling on Freeways VC 21960

a) The Department of Transportation and local authorities may prohibit or restrict the use of freeways or any portion thereof by bicycles.

b) Such prohibitory regulations shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected upon the freeway and the approaches thereto.

Hand Signals. VC 22111

All required signals given by hand and arm shall be given in the following manner:

Left turn-hand and arm extended horizontally beyond the side of the bicycle.
Right turn- left hand and arm extended upward beyond the side of the bicycle or right hand and arm extended horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.
Stop or sudden decrease of speed signal- left hand and arm extended downward beyond the side of the bicycle.

Toll Crossing. VC 23330

Except where a special permit has been obtained from the Department of Transportation, bicycles shall not be permitted on any vehicular crossing, unless the Department by signs indicates that bicycles are permitted upon all or any portion of the vehicular crossing.

Headsets and Earplugs. VC 27400

No person operating any vehicle, including a bicycle shall wear any headset covering, or any earplugs in, both ears. There are exceptions for persons operating authorized emergency vehicles, special construction or maintenance equipment and refuse collection equipment, and for any person wearing personal hearing protectors designed to attenuate injurious noise levels and which do not inhibit the wearers’ ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or horn form another motor vehicle, and for any person using a prosthetic device which aids the hard of hearing.

License Requirement. VC 39002

a) A city or county may adopt a bicycle licensing ordinance or resolution providing that no resident shall operate any bicycle on any street, road, highway, or other public property within the city of county, unless such bicycle is licensed in accordance with this division.

b) Any bicycle not licensed under this division may be additionally regulated or licensed pursuant to local ordinance or may be licensed upon request of the owner.

c) It is illegal for any person to to tamper with, destroy, mutilate or alter any license indicia (marking) or registration form or to remove, alter, or mutilate the serial number, or the identifying marks of a licensing agency’s identifying symbol on any bicycle frame licensed under the provision of this division.

September 17th, 2008 | Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Bike Law, Cycling, Safety | Category: Advocacy, Bicycling, Law |