There has been a bit of chat lately about Sydney being the most aggressive place on earth to ride a bike. Surely it is no surprise to those of us who don the lycra.

More and more I see people having less and less time to be polite. I see drivers and riders fighting for road ownership; each one thinking they own the road; and I see drivers thinking cyclists are nothing more than a nuisance; a cause for being late; and an excuse to behave badly and a reason to make poor decisions.

What often gets mentioned when it comes to a solution is:

  1. licenses for cyclists, and
  2. cycle ways

But what rarely, if ever, get’s discussed as a solution is:

  1. COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION.

Is it just me that thinks this could be the solution ?

Giving cyclists a license and or getting them onto cycle ways will do little to improve rider / driver relationships. Will do little to increase tolerance levels between those who “share” the road. I believe the solution to the problem is simple … but it will take a quantum shift in thinking and tolerance from both sides of the fence. The road is there to share … but how do we share it when those who use the road have run out of patience with each other ?

The Communication Revolution

  1. Integrate cycle awareness into schools and driver licensing tests,
  2. Develop a consistent communication platform for cyclists,
  3. Educate and test cyclists online … as part of their membership to say Bicycle NSW,
  4. Roll out an education platform across cycle clubs and communities,  and
  5. Test and educate drivers to ensure the cyclists communication platform is understood

Cyclists already have a range of signals that alert other cyclists to:

  1. slow riders ahead,
  2. holes on the road,
  3. park cars, etc etc

But not all cyclists are consistent with the signals, controlling lanes and communicating and or warning vehicles. Whilst cyclists have a communication platform of sorts, a far more rigid set of signals needs to be introduced and in my view, shared across all road users. If we want harmony on the roads and respect between cyclists and drivers, better communication and education is key. Like any relationship … if you fail to communicate … you fail the relationship.

So whilst the debate continues:

  1. ride smart,
  2. spend a bit of time understanding each others signals,
  3. set some rules that you will all abide from,
  4. respect the road rules,
  5. give some thought to the driver behind you who has no idea what’s in your head,
  6. do whatever you can to ensure they (the drivers) are better informed and able to make better choices,
  7. thank them (the drivers) when they make a good choice,
  8. don’t get aggressive when they (the drivers) make a poor choice, and
  9. don’t allow or encourage them (the drivers) to make a bad choice

A Final Thought

Why is it that ?

A driver won’t overtake another car on a roundabout and / or across double yellow lines that is for some reason traveling at say 30 or 40 ks an hour ? But they will happily overtake a bike rider under the exact same conditions ?

Answer ?

  1. Is it the fact that the driver sees so much spare road between the bike rider/s that they just have to take it ?
  2. If bike riders had backsides as wide as the rear of a car … would drivers still overtake them ?

I think the road can at times be compared to a badly proportioned birthday cake … too many people wanting a slice and no rules on who should get what slice first.

Safe miles.

Kent Williams

Director Entoure