Let’s all share the road

Re: This driver dreads unsafe cyclists, Sept. 2.

Letter-writer Roberta Montpetit wrote about her experience with a cyclist who rode hugging the line between the bicycle lane and the car lane. This caused her to have to slow down considerably in order to pass safely in accordance with the law that requires motorists to have one metre between their cars and bicycles.

In regard to the law, a cyclist is authorized to ride between the bike lane line and the edge of the road. Consequently, the cyclist that Montpetit was following was obeying the law. But putting the law aside, Montpetit is correct. Many cyclists, myself included, often ride close to lines that denote bike lanes and paved shoulders. But why?

In my experience, bike lanes and paved shoulders are frequently strewn with broken glass and rocks. They are also maintained to a lower standard than roadways, and usually have more potholes, deep ruts and heaved drainage grates that can make short work of bicycle tires. I’m very vigilant when riding but still get several flat tires per year due to these hazards. To avoid them, I will move closer to the bike lane line, as there are far fewer of these nasty surprises the closer you get to the car lane.

I’m not at all sympathetic to the inconvenience suffered by Montpetit. When motorists have to slow down in order to safely pass a cyclist, they may be delayed by five or 10 seconds, seldom more. After passing a cyclist, a motorist can make up that lost time in a minute and normally much less than that. Perhaps a solution here is greater awareness and understanding. Come on folks, get out of your cars, hop on a bike, have some fun, and get some first-hand experience with and empathy for sharing the road. Doug Tapley, Kanata