Bicycle riders, car drivers should know, obey traffic rules

Spring is that time when flowers start to bloom and scores of people who don't exercise outdoors during the winter return to the trails and streets of our communities.

I have been an all-year-long-outdoor exerciser for the past 45 years here in the Lehigh Valley. I have seen many crazy things while doing so both by drivers and exercisers.

So, before it gets too crazy out there, let's review a few basics to gain an understanding of what good practices and the law, expects us to do.

Walkers: When possible, walk on sidewalks facing traffic. There are exceptions to this such as if there is no sidewalk, or the sidewalk is uneven or broken in spots. Regardless, use common sense and yield to traffic unless you have the right of way.

Drivers, where there are crosswalks, the law requires you to yield the second a walker steps anywhere into that crosswalk. I see this violated all the time. Drivers, you are driving a 2-ton hunk of metal at a speed far greater than zero. Walkers and runners generally don't weigh that much nor go as fast. It is not a contest to see who gets there first. Use your brake.

Always make eye contact with the driver/pedestrian you are interacting with. That way either party can tell if the other is aware of their presence. Always use some common sense and courtesy here.

Runners: Your rules are basically the same as walkers.

Bicyclists: Our lot is more challenging. First, ride with traffic. Pennsylvania law states that bicyclists are allowed to ride on paved roads even if there's a shoulder should the rider determine it's unsafe. I generally don't ride on shoulders because that's where all the stones, glass and other junk collects.

While the law recommends riding in the middle of the right side of the lane, if conditions merit, such as potholes, a bicyclist may ride anywhere in that lane. Bicyclists essentially have the same rights and responsibilities as the driver of a vehicle. We are allowed to ride two abreast.

There is one responsibility that vehicle drivers have vis-a-vis bicyclists that requires further discussion.

In 2011, Patrick Ytsma of Bethlehem was struck and killed by a car despite wearing a safety helmet and reflective gear. Subsequently, a law was passed requiring drivers to give all bicyclists a 4-foot "cushion of safety." This "cushion" is the responsibility of the driver, not the rider. The law also allowed vehicles to cross the center line, when safe, to meet that requirement. I can't tell you how often I’ve been passed by cars violating this requirement especially on blind curves or up hills with limited forward visibility. They just fly by hoping nothing is coming. Personally, I will signal drivers when it's safe to pass.

So, how does one comply with the law? The average width of a two-lane road is 10 feet per lane without the shoulder. If I ride my bike 3 inches from the side of the road, there is still about 1.5 feet to the end of my handle bar. To be in compliance, vehicles then need to be at least 5.5 feet from the side of the road. With an average width of five to six feet, any vehicle will need to extend about two feet into the opposite lane. So, if the wheels on your driver's side aren't in the other lane, you’re out of compliance and may put the safety of the rider in jeopardy.

Yes, exercisers sometimes do things not strictly in compliance with the law. We’re only human as are drivers. But we all need to do better and be prepared for any situation.

What I do when I am out exercising is to look at every traffic situation I face and determine the possible outcomes including the possibility that the other person isn't paying attention, is lost or is distracted and then prepare for it. Just recently on my way home, the person driving in front of me slowed well before a stop sign and then made a U-turn on a two-lane road without a turn signal. Because I saw this developing, I was prepared. Therefore, no accident.

When the person who hit and killed Patrick Ytsma came to trial, a plea deal had been made. The driver was fined $500 and had their license suspended for six months. I will keep my feelings to myself about the appropriateness of that sentence. Let's just say that there have been many times drivers treated me as if I was only worth $500.

So, do your part as a driver or an exerciser and follow commonsense rules with a bit of courtesy. Remember, one mistake can lead to an outcome that may not be as inconsequential as a $500 fine.

John Sise of Hanover Township, Northampton County, has been exercising outdoors for 45 years in the Lehigh Valley.

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