Collegiate Times

There are a lot of people around Virginia Tech who ride bicycles to and from class. The majority of the time it is because their class is on the other side of campus and they need to make it there the quickest way possible; that is understandable.

However, I can not excuse the blatant abuse of traffic laws so many riders are guilty of.

What I don’t understand is why cyclists ride in the middle of the road, when there is a bike lane made specifically for them. Cyclists are considered to be vehicles when riding on the road and they should follow the rules accordingly.

Nothing is more frustrating than driving to campus or around Blacksburg and getting stuck behind a cyclist. Even more frustrating is when the cyclist decides to turn right in front of you without signaling, or when you do not even see the rider coming at all as they swerve into your lane.

I have seen numerous car accidents involving cyclists happen around campus (Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt in these accidents, just some minor cuts and bruises.).  In some of the most egregious acts of negligence, the cyclists were not paying attention and ran right into cars. But cars must also pay attention and watch out for cyclists like pedestrians.

Another accident took place on a hill. There was a back up at the light and, therefore, a long line of cars. While waiting in line, a truck driver decided to let a car turn in front of him to get into a parking lot. Meanwhile, there was a bike lane on the other side of that truck that the car did not see. A cyclist was coming down that hill pretty fast and not paying attention to other cars that were stopped or in turning lanes. While this car was turning, the bike went right into its side.

Both people are at fault here, but the point is safety. The cyclist should not have been going that fast and should have slowed down at turning lanes or crosswalks. The car was actually turning very slowly and probably just assumed there were no cyclists coming down the hill and did not bother looking. Either way, both people needed to pay more attention to their surroundings.

The entire community would benefit from an online class offered for cyclists to get a bike permit. It should test them on safety and some simple rules to follow when sharing the road with other vehicles. It would be beneficial, especially to cyclists ignorant of the rules of the road.

Riders would be wise to wear a helmet as another precaution. It can save your life, even if you think you would never get into an accident while riding your bike. Accidents can happen to anyone. There is an awareness week dedicated to road safety and I encourage all to participate in it.

I have nothing against cyclists who share the road in the right manner. I have witnessed the exceptional cyclist who uses hand signals and follows the rules of the road, but the majority of the time, riders are ignorant and oblivious to their surroundings.

A version of this article appeared in the Sep 28 issue of the Collegiate Times.