Commuting on Two Wheels: We Can Make Cycling Safer

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

I live in Washington, DC, a city that is increasingly adapting its infrastructure to accommodate bikers. And with good cause: more than 17,000 people bike to work each day. According to The Washington Post,  there are 10 miles of bicycle lanes and plans to double that number that number by 2024. 

Why bike? To save money, for exercise, because it is convenient, and to benefit the environment. 

Riding a bike reduces carbon trapping greenhouse gases, reduces the need to build more roads and parking spaces to house cars. Fewer parking lots can mean more greener parks for communities.

Riding a bike saves money. Even when gas is “cheap” in DC, it costs nearly $3 a gallon and sometimes reaches $4 a gallon. Saving money for the future – – especially in my college years – – is constantly a concern.  I also understand that the true benefits of biking depend people riding responsibly and not neglecting to take safety measures. There are many variables that today’s transportation professionals and everyday people are dealing with as the number of cyclists increases.

Biking is a great form of exercise that has long term health benefits, including reducing heart disease and type II diabetes and improves the quality of life for many people. 

Exercise, including biking, is not only good for my physical health, but my mental health. When I was in middle school, I would come home and just ride around the neighborhood for 30 minutes to calm my head. Afterwards, I felt like all the irritations and stresses were more manageable. 

However, these benefits hinge on a wide-ranging effort to reduce danger.  I learned valuable tips that I had not thought of from Mainor Wirth’s post on Crash Safety. For example, as many as 13% of accidents are caused by rider error such as not paying attention to one’s environment, not signaling or wearing a helmet. Fortunately, we can take preventative measures, and we must.

In fact, my grandparents live in Denver and were visiting our family in Washington. During their recent visit, my grandfather mentionedt a recent incident of a driver hitting a bicyclist in the Denver area. The driver of the vehicle did not stop, and the cyclist died just a few days ago from injuries. Bikers and drivers can be more responsible and aware of each other, especially if biking is to become a way to commute to work everyday.

We can take intentional steps to do so, such as:

• Wear a helmet that fits tightly every time – treat it like a seatbelt in a car
• Wear reflective clothing so that drivers see you and your bike
• Don’t wear headphones or use electronic devices while riding
• Know and follow the rules of the road such as signaling and not driving through stop signs and stop lights 
• Pay attention to the road conditions, and if a road has potholes, debris or is dangerous be more careful or even go to the other side
• Learn how to maintain your bike and make sure it is in good condition before hitting the road 
• Distracted drivers are everywhere, so don’t assume they see you or are paying attention

To some people, It may seem odd or even unreasonable for a police officer to pull over a biker.  If running a red light is illegal for cars it should also be for bicyclists. At the very least, the police should enforce laws for bikers as they do drivers. This is a matter of safety and justice. Law enforcement officials need to work to build understanding that safety should be mandatory for everyone on the road.

Caution and safety should not only be required only by drivers. Bicyclists must consistently follow the laws as well.  Just because bicyclists can easily slip between cars to get places more quickly, turn on a red light, or even cross an intersection without stopping at a stop sign does not mean that it is safe or that it is legal. Laws are not just in place to keep bikers safe from cars. They are there to encourage caution and maintain safety for all those who are on the road.

Maintaining a bike is important because if it is used everyday for work it should be maintained similar as to how a car is maintained so that it lasts longer and works well. Brakes are essential to any moving vehicle, and there are safety precautions that bike manufacturers, law enforcement officials have the responsibility to teach bike riders, especially to make commuting to work everyday less dangerous and more practical.