Undercover bike officers target unsafe drivers

Most cyclists (like me) are motorists and homeowners, and pay taxes for using the roads. There are cyclists who break the law, but the motorist to cyclist ratio is probably hundreds to one, and so is the law-breaking ratio. In a vehicle-bicycle collision, the motorist is going to walk away, and the cyclist will likely die, so a cyclist will rarely fail to yield the right-of-way. If a cyclist is in the lane, it is probably because that is the safest place for him/her to ride. Staying to the far right has been shown to be dangerous, as motorists attempt to pass when there is not enough room for both. A cyclist needs room to maneuver in order to avoid road debris, potholes, etc. This has happened to me numerous times on two-lane roads even when the motorist can and should vacate the lane. Oftentimes, when there is another vehicle in the left lane, a motorist will squeeze by rather than wait and change lanes when clear. This is just one of the many, many ways motorists endanger cyclists each day. Every motorist should spend some time riding a bike on the road before commenting or complaining about those who cycle.

If a bike has the same rights and responsibilities to the road as a car, then a bicyclist travelling 15 m.p.h. in a 45 m.p.h. zone is impeding traffic just the way a car would, and can be ticketed.

Sealock try driving below the posted speed limit on the highway. let me know what happens. dont worry about my spelling. i have a cheap keyboard. im thinking about taking it back. it types to many errors.

To sraspusr20- Cyclists do pay road taxes like motorists do. Roads are paid for by property taxes, sales taxes, and federal taxes (in addition to gasoline taxes). The annual fee you pay to register your car barely covers the record-keeping and administrative costs for keeping track of your car. None of that fee goes to pay for roads. To joepublic- WRONG. The posted speed limit is intended to be the speed you are not to exceed. That's why it's a limit. What you "learn in drivers eduacation" was wrong. To bad your school didn't teach spelling. If cyclists are taking up both lanes they way you describe, then yes, they are breaking the law, and are subject to getting a ticket. But when you intentionally ride too close to a cyclist, so are you. That's what this story is about. And to Tenacious- Bike paths are great for riding through parks and subdivisions when you want to get some exercise. But until you have a bike path for every road, bicycles do belong on roads.

These cyclesest should pay road tax's as other vechiles do. They need a lisence plate on rear of bike and a specefic drivers lisence, why not. Who else besides me feels the same should apply to bicycles.

by going below the posted speed you are breaking the law. slow traffic to the right this is what i learn in drivers eduacation. now one 2 many times i seen bikers taking up 2 lanes of a 4 lane undivided road. which means everyone behind must slow down and come to a crawl. i also observe them not observing traffic signs, lights. i like to know where the majority of these tickets are being handed out? and are the bikers being ticketed?

Bicycles don't belong on the road used by automobiles. They should only be allowed on bike paths.

I would think with that video, if anyone got a ticket being too close to those two riders, they would win a case of entrapment, seeing how they are intentionally taking up an entire lane and impeding the normal traffic flow.

The negativity surrounding "pretentious cyclists" speaks for itself. The first issue is how drivers perceive a person on a bicycle. I guarantee the person in blue jeans, a t-shirt, and work boots is given all the room in the world because they have to use a bicycle for transportation . . . put a person in formal cycling gear (lycra, helmet etc) & suddenly we become targets. Once we accept that bicycles are a form of transportation & not just a recreational toy (insert class distinction here $$$), then we can have a discussion about traffic mobility, bike lane usage, & routes. Safety for all users of the road is just part of using the road & we have much room for improvement, advocacy and enforcement. We do have cyclists getting tickets for impeding the normal flow of traffic (large group riding without regard to the established law); running stop signs (not putting at least one foot down per stated law); & the occasional assault from an angry cyclist toward the motorist. I am a professional cycling coach, educator, bicycle racer (22 years), and motorized vehicle user . . . the opinions of cyclists toward motorists and motorists toward cyclists have not changed over that time period & I suspect that any time anyone is inconvenienced, opinions will fly. You should hear what is said about the traditional trail riders and wagon trains as they make their way to the Houston Rodeo every year; or a funeral procession that delays traffic; or comments made toward accident victims that block the roads during rush hour. We are in too much of a hurry much of the time and all could work a little bit on patience, tolerance, stress management--cycling is a great way to accomplish that. With gas prices only continuing to rise . . . we may see an increase in people who use bicycles for regular transportation; having roadways and drivers who advocate for safe passing distances is certainly an important component of this trend.

Where are the officers who are ticketing bicyclists?? The ones who disregard stop signs & cruise through red lights & don't use the bike lanes when they are provided? They want to right to the road, but selectively obey the laws that govern it.