Road-sharing lessons remain

“Vehicle” includes every device capable of being moved upon a public highway, including bicycles (RCW 46.04.670).

The irony of the situation didn’t escape me. Having left a discussion on active transportation and the need for educating motorists and cyclists alike about the rules of the road, I found myself living the talk. While heading south on Stevens, I was first challenged by a driver in a BMW who decided he had the right to cut me off because I was a cyclist. This near collision was followed by learning from a watching motorist that I didn’t belong on the road because roads were for “vehicles.”

In spite of the success of SpokeFest ’09 and the progress we’ve made, I believe we’re still challenged by ignorance and lack of courtesy. Yes, there are cyclists who don’t obey the rules, and they give the cycling community a bad name. But if I was to generalize drivers by those who speed, talk on cell phones and fail to yield for pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks, then all motorists would be at fault.

Share the road is more than just a saying, it’s the law.

Bob Lutz

Spokane