This week’s article is focused on the need for vehicles and bicycles to share the road. Over the past few weeks, I have received numerous concerns from avid bicyclists who are reluctant to travel on the roads due to safety concerns and motorists who feel that bikes pose a risk.

We are very fortunate to live in a community of such natural beauty. People from near and far spend countless hours pedaling miles either as individuals or as part of groups, raising money for charities. Some of these rides take place on the many miles of the Ahnapee Trail, while others share the road with those traveling in motor vehicles. Even for those riding on the trail, there are numerous points where the trails must cross or merge with public roadways, and because of this, some very basic and important safety tips apply to both scenarios.

Visibility is a major safety consideration when on a bicycle due to the decreased size of the bicyclist’s profile, both when being passed and met by a motor vehicle. Efforts to bring attention to the rider and the bike are always a good practice. Either light colored clothing or reflective materials will help in being identified by a driver at a much greater distance, thus giving the driver of a vehicle much more time to navigate safely around the bike and its driver.

This brings us to the following safety tip: Navigating around a bike traveling on a roadway. My most frequent complaint from bicyclists is that vehicles do not provide a safe distance when passing. If you, as a vehicle driver, cannot provide a safe distance between your car and the bike when you are passing, it is best to follow until the opportunity is there to pass them as you would a slow-moving vehicle. Just as a motorcycle has the right to its traffic lane, so does the bicyclist. Many think that if more than one bicycle travels, they must be in a single-file line. This is not the case. Just as two motorcycles may travel side by side within their traffic lane, the same goes for bicycles. Please treat them as you would any other slow-moving motor vehicle.

Now, to the bicyclist, please operate your bike with the traffic, not against it. Sometimes people get confused, as the common practice for walking is to go against the traffic. Also, those street signs are meant for you as well. Just today I was driving down the street and a bike failed to stop at a stop sign missing me by inches. Fortunately, I was in my Sheriff’s truck and took the opportunity to educate the young lad. Another good tip is to use the traditional arm signals. I know we were all taught them as kids, and yes, they are still relevant when operating a bicycle. These signals are your way of communicating with the vehicles you share the road with.

As we finally have some decent weather, we can get out and bike in, let’s not forget to do it safely. If you would rather drive a vehicle to enjoy the scenery, please don’t forget about the rest of us on bikes. Stay Safe!