UA cyclists should obey traffic laws

By Anne Eychaner
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 2, 1997

Editor:

I have been an avid cyclist in the past and deem bicycle safety to be one of the most important aspects of making car drivers comfortable with increasing numbers of bikes on the roads. But being on and around campus this past week I have noticed a lot of stupid cyclists who are riding in such a fashion that puts themselves and others in danger.

This includes people riding on the wrong (left) side of the street (I have been in the ER with a friend when a man came in who had been riding on the left side of the street and got hit by a car turning right who of course did not anticipate a vehicle coming from that direction) as well as a young woman traveling west on Speedway, at the light at Euclid... there is a right turn only lane there and any vehicle (car or bicycle) continuing straight ahead and NOT turning right should not be in that lane. Needless to say, that is exactly where she was and what she was doing. She could have easily been hit by a car turning right as she was traveling straight through the intersection. If she was in the correct lane, this would not have been an issue.

Many students also run stop signs. There are many safe cyclists in this city, but cyclists like this give the rest a bad name - never mind putting every one else on the road (or sidewalk!) in danger. I think it is in the strong interest and safety of the students and university community for the Wildcat to provide some material on bicycle safety and traffic rules.

Anne Eychaner
Ecology and evolutionary biology senior