Watch out for bicycles on the road

Bicycles - powered by biofuel. My job sent out an email recently to inform us of bike-to-work day. The Express published an article about another phase of the walking/biking trail being completed. We see bicycles all around our community. It really is great exercise, and a great way to efficiently get around and at the same time see the sights!

I have noticed, though, that many people on bikes are not riding safely. According to law, bicycles have to follow/obey traffic laws. Although it’s true that bicycles have the right of way over motor vehicles on the streets, a tangle with several thousand pounds of metal moving at 30 mph could be fatal. I nearly tangled with a bike recently as I was going across a one-way street because the rider was riding the wrong way on that street. I had no reason to expect traffic from that direction, and looked just in time. On the way to work recently in the pre-dawn hours, I saw someone riding a bike through town. He/she was wearing dark clothing and had only a dim headlight on the bike. This person could not be seen from the side or rear from a distance. I have also observed children ride across Broadway without stopping and looking both ways.I observed that one was narrowly missed by an 18 wheeler.

Don’t let bicycle riding end in a tragedy. Please observe traffic laws. If you ride after dark, please wear light clothing or a reflective vest, and have front and rear lights and reflectors on your bike. Parents, please teach your children to ride on the right side of the road, stop for stop signs and traffic lights, and to slow down or stop and look both ways before darting across a busy street. Happy riding!

David Thornton is a Red Oak resident.