May is Bicycle Safety Month: Share the Road and Look Out for One Another
Source: Santa Barbara Police Department
May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and the Santa Barbara Police Department reminds drivers to follow the speed limit and look out for people on bike rides.
“The days are longer, and the weather is pleasant, making for ideal conditions to go on a bike ride,” Motor Officer Kasper said. “Drivers, please share the road so we may all get places safely.”
To help keep people biking or walking safe, the Santa Barbara Police Department will conduct a traffic safety operation throughout the month focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors such as speeding, making illegal turns, failure to yield to bicyclists or pedestrians, and stop sign/red light running.
SBPD suggests the following safety tips for bicyclists and drivers:
Drivers
- Slow down and follow the speed limit. Be careful traveling through intersections.
- Look carefully for bicyclists and pedestrians before making a turn or opening a car door near streets or bike paths.
- Be patient when traveling behind a bicyclist. Maintain at minimum three feet of space when passing or overtaking a bicyclist.
- Never drive distracted or impaired.
Bike Riders
- Use lights at night (at minimum, a front white light and rear red reflector).
- Although not required for riders 18 and older, always wear a properly secured helmet. Helmets significantly reduce the chance of a head injury in the event of a crash.
- Bicyclists must travel in the same direction of traffic and have the same requirements as any slow-moving vehicle.
- Yield to pedestrians, just as a driver would. Pedestrians have the right-of-way within marked crosswalks or within unmarked crosswalks at intersections.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
11 Comments
-
4
-
-
May 04, 2022 09:49 AMStop doubling up in single bike lanes and encroaching on the road designated for vehicles. I see that almost every day in town.
-
1
-
-
May 04, 2022 09:56 AMJust stopping by to wish all a "Happy Star Wars Day"!!! May the force (4th) be with you...
-
5
-
-
May 04, 2022 10:00 AMBicyclists "have the same requirements as any slow-moving vehicle." - Yes. Keep as far as practicable to the right of the road (ie, no double/triple riding) and STOP at ALL red lights and stop signs.
I'd love to see the SBSO come out to Cathedral Oaks on any day, any time and hand out tickets for these violations.
-
1
-
4
-
May 04, 2022 11:45 AMLotta hostility toward bikers here I see
-
-
-
May 04, 2022 12:01 PMOAK - where?
-
2
-
-
May 04, 2022 02:47 PMNo hate OAKMAN. Its just that 98% of bike riders ignoring the rules of the road give the other 2% a bad name!!
-
1
-
1
-
May 04, 2022 03:38 PMOn the positive sids, probably 90% of the bicyclists you see on the road also have driver licenses and access to cars and trucks. Car drivers should consider that these folks are not adding to car/truck road traffic, pollution, and parking issues. I'm seeing many more e-bikes about, and that's great because the more butts on bike seats, the better for all of us. These folks are not only helping the environment, but they're gaining a better understanding of the interplay between car/truck traffic, bikes, and pedestrians, and enjoying our fantastic SB weather. Peace out.
-
-
-
May 06, 2022 07:20 PM90% of the people I observe on bicycles are there for recreational purposes. If they did not have the bike, especially electric powered, they would be walking on sidewalks and beaches and trails and we would all be better off in fact.
-
-
-
May 06, 2022 07:32 PMI guess we don't need those parking lots at the beaches, trailheads, the Mission, and all those other places you see bicycles, because we all know that if people aren't riding bikes, they walk everywhere!
-
1
-
1
-
May 05, 2022 09:44 AMYesterday I observed 2 cyclists headed uphill on a curve on APS, single file, but with 20 cars lined up behind them. This is sharing the road?
-
-
-
May 06, 2022 08:50 PMDriving home today on Cat Oaks...1 pack of bikes ( thankfully they put a space between the lanes now) and 3 wide taking the space and making me cross the double yellow. Came to the intersection at Glenn Annie and 2 other bikes blew the light. At the intersection, at Calle Real, a bike blew the light. Of course, I look over to my right as I go through the intersection a girl approaches with a loose dog in the front and looking down texting... everyone is looking to get wrecked!