Re: Rights vs. Responsibility

Yes, Denis, I am with you. I tell me friends about riding thru snow and related 
inclement conditions. I say I fell down a few times and they look shocked. I 
find it kind of fun. I fall in situations where I am away from motorists. There 
is little to no consequence because I'm landing on snow. Most of the time it 
takes deep snow to knock me down. There are some treacherous conditions that I 
avoid during the thaw/refreeze cycles where there are wide swathes of black ice. 
Those are the days I am concerned about cycling. The days when my co-workers 
express concern are not the days for real concern. 


I often find myself riding on the busy roads in my area when snow and ice have 
taken over my usual commuter trail. The busy roads are much safer because I and 
my motoring counterparts can safely turn, stop and see. Those are the safety 
factors that are most important. Also when I'm bundled up and I fall I'm bundled 
with layers of soft material that protects me from injury. Most of the busy 
roads I ride in are so congested during commuter times that I can move to the 
center lane of 3 and pass. These are roads I feel fairly safe in. There are also 
enough cyclists in my area where I'm expected and respected.

Steve
Silver Spring, MD
50 years of cycling
http://www.mohrnet.com/bikeIndex.htm



----- Original Message ----
From: Denis Kertz <[email protected]>
To: John Strong <stronghold42002-/[email protected]>; [email protected]
Sent: Sun, February 6, 2011 7:53:52 PM
Subject: RE: Rights vs. Responsibility

Yes, there are rights and responsibilities, for both motorists and cyclists. As 
a cyclist I always have to consider whether I should be cycling some place, snow 
or not.  The biggest point I have to consider as a cyclist, in all conditions, 
is MY health and well being.  If there is an accident, I am almost certainly 
going to be hurt, but most likely another motorized vehicle (or person) will not 
be harmed to any significant extent.  By contrast, whenI am a motorist, if I am 
involved in an accident, it is roughly equally
likely that another vehicle/person will be harmed to the same extent (or worse).

So, it is arguably just as important if not more important for motorists to 
consider THEIR responsibility under poor conditions.  If a motorist causes an 
accident it is much more likely that an innocent bystander/vehicle will bear the 
brunt of the damage.  With a cycling accident, the cyclist is unlikely to walk 
away unharmed.  That means that a cyclist is MORE likely to consider whether to 
cycle under more dangerous conditions, out of natural self preservation 
motivation.  But how many motorists consider the risk they are introducing to 
other motorists under less safe conditions?

When I cycle in snowy conditions it is only on side streets where traffic is 
very low (and rarely any two-way traffic) and the speed also low (eg, 30mph or 
less).  If I see traffic in any questionable situation, I just pull off to the 
side until the traffic is gone.  I know under those conditions if Ifall that no 
one else is going to be involved.  And, strangely, falling,
while more likely under snowy conditions, is also usually less harmful. There 
can be some cushioning affect due to the snow.  Or what I have found more 
likely, is that I won't suffer any road rash - the road is slicker so there is 
much less friction.

Denis