Driving and Bicycling Concerns

Great tips. As for the horn when locking the doors, not everyone has a choice. We have a VW Jetta that the horn cannot be disabled for the lock/alarm feature. Trust me i have tried. Ive read that the electronic system can be hacked, but i cant figure it out.. it annoys even me. Locking your car during late night in a quiet complex is annoying.

Let's talk about some hazards created by cyclists. Riding doubles up with the outside rider in traffic. I see that all the time in town. Ride single file in heavy traffic areas . Cyclists not stopping for stop signs and blowing through them , something I see frequently. Cyclists riding down the middle of the road and causing faster vehicles to slow behind them and not getting over to the right. Cyclists not using appropriate hand signals when turning. Cyclists weaving in and out of traffic at red lights. Cyclists need to maintain courtesy and safety as well. This is not a comprehensive list and I'm sure I've missed a few.

Now as a person who rides a motorycle daily, as my main means of transportation:

* Cyclists have to obey the laws of the road as well. It gets super annoying and dangerous when:

1) Cyclists blow through stop signs and lights, a lof of times without even looking
2) Packs of cyclists ride 3 abreast down narrow roads or on the 192. Just like motorists need to share the road, so do cyclists
3) Cyclists that are talking on the phone or even texting, and not paying attention to their surroundings.

They are a major source of headache for anyone who actually drives around the streets of SB as part of their job. And a lot of these complaints go for people on skateboards as well, with the added danger of no brakes.

As for people in cars, for the love of the deity that you worship, GET OFF THE FRIGGIN' PHONE!!! Its so bad, and no one does anything about it. Heck, I saw a UPS driver, on duty, texting while he was driving! And no, you can't look at your phone at a stop light. Put it away!

At the end of the day, we all have a responsibilty to be safe on the road. I will tend towards letting the other person "get away" with it since, as a motoryclist, I'm ALWAYS at the losing end of any collision (mass wins), but getting those butt pucker moments multiple times a day, every day, due to other's carelessness gets really old.

Overall, this is a good article. I'm just feeling ranty because I just got my bike back on the road yesterday and within 20 minutes of riding, I almost got taken out by some girl driving an SUV and talking on the phone. Please pay attention, drive safe, and PUT. THE. PHONE. DOWN. Or spend 2 minutes and just pull over if its that important. I (and all motoryclists) would like to get home alive, and preferably without damaged or missing limbs or skin. :)

Thanks for trying to educate. It IS one of the first steps to Vision Zero (no more vehicle related fatalities). Enforcement of the "rules of the road" is another. That pretty much doesn't exist in our town. Note the literally thousands of drivers who run through red lights and make illegal right turns on red (without stopping and looking) or are on the phone, texting while driving. When was the last time YOU saw a police officer citing a driver for a traffic violation? But that's not all. Bicyclists riding on the sidewalk or going the wrong direction in a bike lane is a problem. Pedestrians with eyes glued to the phone while crossing the street, ignoring the crossing signal---a very poor choice. And do you drivers notice the solid white line painted on the roadway? That means "do not cross". It does not mark an extra lane for you. The broken line: ok to cross IF you look for bikes and pedestrians first.

Slow down, pay attention, respect the rules of the road. Simple stuff that will save someone's life.

Great article...thank you!!! Cyclists need to always pay attention because the stakes are way too high. No matter who is legally in the right when there is an accident, the cyclist ALWAYS ends up on the losing side. My simple formula for safe cycling is to assume any and all vehicles cannot see me...easy peasy! Ride safe my fellow cyclists...and may the wind be at your back.

As a cyclist, motorcyclist and driver of a car, I can not believe what appears to be the "ME" attitude of cyclists of late... I not talking about cyclists that actually ride single file in the bike lane, or even those riding two abreast ... No, I talking about the cyclists that are on our local backroads riding 3 or more abreast for no particular reason. I'm talking about almost wiping out an entire bike riding group on a BLIND TURN on a TWO LANE narrow backroad. Idiots. I am all for supporting cyclists, but within reason and riding more than two abreast in NOT within REASON on any road.

Although I certainly agree with the need for greater respect, courtesy and just plain safety for bicyclists, I agree with PitMix that to be effective, if that was the point, the article needs to be more balanced. Since Mr. Bernstein is a well-known bicyclist, bicyclists would more likely heed his recommendations for safer bicycling than will drivers at yet another bicyclist screed. Stop sign blow-throughs, sidewalk bicycling forcing pedestrians/pets to the side, lack of front lights so that a motorist can be warned of an approaching bicycle, riding in packs, riding on the left side of the bike lane while demanding 3' clearance, not wearing a safety helmet, all create hazards to bicyclists. ...That said, I love(d) bicycling but have basically given it up because of the condition of some city streets and the hostile or thoughtless attitudes of some drivers.

How does the horn going off when you remotely lock your doors affect cyclists? If you're so nerve-frazzled that an occasional quick beep ruins your day, it's time to move out of the city. Sorry, but this article is pretty condescending and only decreased my admiration for the author and his usually great articles / photos. Remember - drivers aren't the only ones behaving badly on the roads!

I drive across town on Micheltorena daily, and if I'm behind a bicyclist it becomes a slow trudge, waiting for an opening in traffic to dart into the oncoming lane to pass them. I get people behind me honking but what to do? There is NO way you can leave the 3' gap and pass. So I just go slow, thinking that the bicyclist is meat and my car is metal and I am not in a hurry.

21202
(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.
(b) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a highway, which highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of that roadway as practicable.

Thank you for bringing up the “Slower Traffic Keep Right” law. I believe this is a major highway safety issue. It is important to emphasize that California vehicle code 21654 requires vehicles moving slower than the normal speed of traffic to drive in the right lane REGARDLESS OF THE SPEED LIMIT. In short, if you are not passing or preparing to make a left turn you do not belong in the left lane. It is unfortunate this law is not commonly enforced because it has the potential to reduce the frequency of accidents on freeways and to reduce traffic congestion. A campaign to educate the motoring public about CVC21654 coupled with enforcement efforts could make a big difference.

Although CVC21654 is not commonly enforced in California, I would caution those who drive slowly in the left lane of the potential for civil liability in the event of an accident. It is illegal to drive slowly in the left lane, and if you contribute to causing an accident by breaking the law you could be held responsible for a portion of the resulting damages in court.

In Germany, the slower traffic keep right law is called "Rechtsfahren", this translates to Drive Right.

Very informative article, Thank You.

The rate of freeway accidents in Germany is lower than it is in the United States, despite many portions of German freeways having no speed limit. I believe strong enforcement of the "Drive Right" law in Germany is a critical component of that safety achievement. It's time we do the same here in California.

Speaking of laws - aren’t bicyclists supposed to stop at Stop signs?? Most of them don’t, and just go flying through 4 way stops. They could have easily been hit and it’s not fair to drivers who are following the laws and may hit them because they’re not!

@Chip
True, Driver education is also better when one earns onez drivers license.

One of these issues is a pet peeve of mine -- signaling. Even the cops and highway patrol frequently do not signal turns or lane changes. I told off a sheriff out in Goleta at the Market that he should signal his turns as a good example. He said he didn't have to signal because he was in the parking lot on private property. Then tried to intimidate me. I've never seen the turn signal rule enforced here.

For a city full of trump hating liberals claiming to want equality for all and “I’m so happy your my neighbor” it’s truly sad to watch the way people treat each other in this town. I get out a lot and what I see is not great. Me me me and only me is the attitude by many.

Yes, I have a VERY hard time believing that those honking horns for vehicle remotes can't be disengaged-----on every make of vehicle. It isn't only cyclists that jump a mile when someone clicks that remote door lock and the horn blasts. If one of my near neighbors was allowing that honking lock remote action to go off at all hours, I wouldn't put up with that for a red hot minute. People who think its acceptable to disturb the peace with those honking remotes are, in my opinion, selfish dimwit jerks one and all. As for people ranting about bicyclists riding three abreast and going too slowly . . . We who drive should all be eternally grateful that those healthy enough and risk-taking enough to ride bikes are cruising around NOT using their cars/trucks and NOT adding to our already polluted-by-combustion-engines air.

People who complain about cyclists "blowing through stop signs" are clinical psychopaths.

This is the most EdHat article I've read. Car horns? Haha. Maybe SB should ban them! Let's get our brilliant, super successful and effective mayor and city council to hire a $350k consultant to explore the possibility. pffff.... People are selfish and self centered. Nothing exhibits this more than turn signals. They are literally the easiest thing to do while driving and yet most people seem incapable of moving that left finger...

As far as I am aware, the horn honk only happens when people use the remote to lock the car. If it is locked using the key in the lock or pressing a button in a car, there is no honk.

Of course, I do not always see what means people are locking their car when the horn goes off. Like when I am in bed asleep and get woken up by a horn.