This is a true story. I was bicycling down the Leelanau Trail last month when suddenly a dark truck turned onto the bike path and drove straight at my friend and me. We looked at our would-be killer. A pretty young blonde talking on her pink cell phone. Cell phone girl slowed down as she saw us veering off the path to get out of her way. She realized what she’d done, and gave us a quick smile of apology. Then she rested her phone on the steering wheel, backed up her truck and maneuvered over to the real road a few yards down from the bike path. Wow, it can end just that quickly. This got me to thinking about safety. It’s more of an issue now with all the new riders out on the street. Just last week, bicyclists swarmed Traverse City to see film festival movies. It was a thing of beauty, and luckily there wasn’t one car/bike accident, according to Traverse City Police Captain Stephen Morgan. Some people avoid bicycling, believing that it’s dangerous. But if you talk to the experienced cyclists like Dave Bucholtz of Traverse City, you’ll find they’ve had a lot of close calls, but no accidents—at least since junior high when he slammed into a car pulling out of an alley. Here’s an intriguing fact. In 2004, there were six times more pedestrians killed than bicyclists, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And for every one traumatic brain injury suffered by a cyclist in 2004, there were seven suffered by pedestrians, and 30 by drivers, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control But even experienced cyclists get hit. At the end of July, Carl John Ray, a 62-year-old mail carrier, was riding his bike on the shoulder of Rapid City Road in Kalkaska County when a pick-up truck came up from behind and struck him. The investigation of his death is still ongoing, but Ray was an experienced bicyclist and member of the Cherry Capital Cycling Club. From his obituary, it sounded like he was an extremely nice guy—wood carver, private pilot, and member of the Grass River Natural Area and Grand Traverse Audubon Club. Another man, Dr. William Crowley, a summer resident of Boyne City and member of the North Country Bicycling Club, was killed by an SUV while riding in a bicycle tour in southern Ohio on May 11. “He was struck from behind by a motorist who wasn’t paying attention,” said John McClory of Bikefix Cycling Center in Boyne City. This is the kind of tragedy every bicyclist fears. So whether you’re a driver, bicyclist or walker, read on—we’re all connected. Northern Express is here to set you straight on commonly held beliefs. Helmets make you look stupid. This is probably true. But come on.
Helmets are hot and itchy. Not true. They are utterly different than they were 10 years ago. “There’s more ventilation, much lighter weight, they feel as if they’re not even there,” said Christian Janssens, owner of Latitude 45 Cycle and Sport in Petoskey.
Bright, reflective vests, ranging in price from $10 to $80, help drivers see you. True. Plus the longer ones cover stomach bulge and embarrassing body parts.
To be treated with respect by cars, you need to act like one. This is the absolute most basic rule of all, said Bob Otwell, executive director of TART Trails. Follow all traffic laws. Ride on the right side of the road and hug the shoulder when a car approaches. Stop at all stop signs. At the very least, come to a rolling stop. Signal by pointing in the direction you’re going to turn. Think about cars coming at you from all angles. Watch for drivers turning into driveways. In short, put your defensive senses into hyper mode.
Pedestrians have the right of way on sidewalks and bike paths. This is true. And quite shockingly, cyclists are often considered annoying and dangerous by walkers and inline skaters, Janssens said. “Bicyclists need to slow down and overtake pedestrians slowly. And I recommend dinging a bell from 30 to 40 yards away. It’s the number one peacemaker.” And the “ding, ding” gets a much nicer reaction than yelling, “On your left!”
Motorists should think of cyclists as their next-door neighbor. True. If you think of a cyclist as a friend or loved one, you’re more likely to watch for cyclists, slow down for them, and pass them nice and wide.
Most bike accidents are reported in the paper. Not true, said Bucholtz, who hears firsthand reports of the latest accidents at his sales job at Brick Wheels in Traverse City. “The newspaper just doesn’t print the stories. I don’t know if it’s because there are just too many, or we’re not that important.” Published reports would not only improve awareness of how accidents happen, but also how law enforcement deals with them. “There was one accident in which a lawyer was riding along outside of Traverse City, and the driver got mad because the cyclist wasn’t getting out of his way fast enough. So he screamed some stuff, went around him, and slammed on his brakes right in front of the bike. The cyclist slammed into the car, breaking his new bike, and the car took off. The cyclist called the police when he got home, gave them all the information, and nothing was done.” The cyclist was—to repeat—a lawyer. I’m just saying.
It is safer to ride on the sidewalk than on the road. This is not true on residential roads. That’s because sidewalks are fraught with hanging branches, bushes, cracks, bumps, and unpredictable children such as my four-year-old son. Even more importantly, drivers don’t expect cyclists on the sidewalk, so they’re less likely to see you as they enter a driveway or parking lot. That said, sidewalks are safer where the roads are terrifying, such as South Airport Road in Traverse City or 31-North in Petoskey (and, no there are frequently no sidewalks in urban-sprawl land).
A mirror will help you from getting hit from behind. Not necessarily, said John McClory of Bikefix Cycling. “They’re useful for changing lanes. But you can’t move fast enough when someone’s going to hit you. It won’t help a bit. It’s too late.” On the other hand, a mirror helps you see a car coming up from behind so you can get into a single file or hug the shoulder.
Bicyclists should never use a cell phone and iPod while biking. What did you say? I can’t hear you.
There are many ways to hurt yourself besides getting smacked by a car. True. Most of the bike injuries coming into the Munson emergency room involve bike falls, said Julie Johnson, an emergency room physician. Just last month, for example, Dawn Koschara bought a t-shirt downtown and carried it in a little bag as she was riding home (she usually and wisely uses a backpack). She passed a pedestrian on the bike path who kindly stepped to the right, and Koschara turned around to say “Thank you!” That’s when the bag slipped into the spokes, and Koschara flew over the handlebars. She broke her left collarbone and her right elbow. While at the emergency room, a Munson nurse told her of another lady who crashed on her bike after evil kids stretched a wire across the bike path. Three years ago, Kate Jaquish of Traverse City was riding on the bike path with a loaded basket on the front of the bike. She stood up as she turned a corner, and her bike lost balance. She flipped over the handle bars and went face first into the asphalt, and smashed her jaw. That little accident cost a tidy $60,000, most of it uninsured since it involved dental work. Not wanting this to happen to other people, she became certified as a cycling instructor and plans to conduct safety classes for the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, especially for commuters who tend to carry stuff. “You don’t want to be off balance and fall over,” she said. Dr. Johnson said there are all kinds of ways to get hurt on a bike—men can hit their, ahem, genitalia on the bar. Head injuries are very common (read: wear helmet), along with broken wrists, legs, and collar bones. “I had a guy in Chicago who fell off his bike and the handlebar punctured, truly punctured, his femoral vein in his leg,” Dr. Johnson said. These accidents happen because people aren’t paying attention, Dr. Johnson said. “They hit a rock, a root, a dog, or there’s someone running out in front of them.. … Then you have cyclists in groups at 15 to 18 miles per hour. One falls and it’s a domino effect. At that speed, it can get pretty serious. A couple of years ago, I had a guy fall and end up with a collapsed lung. He lived.”
When the pedestrian light flashes, make sure every single driver knows you’re there. ABSOLUTELY! Traverse City Police Captain Stephen Morgan said there were three accidents in Traverse City in the last two weeks, and all three involved bicyclists moving from the sidewalk into the crosswalk and getting hit. Interestingly, bicyclists don’t have the legal right of way until entering the crosswalk. Yet drivers “should” stop for you. Make eye contact with the drivers before crossing. Joel Gaff of McClain Cycle & Fitness in Traverse City had a near brush just last week: “The crosswalk turned white, and I looked to my left and someone was screaming at me to stay out of the way. They wanted to run the red light, and they did.” One other note: It’s legal to ride into the left-hand turn lane and make your turn that way. It requires a lot of hand signals (and guts). Might want to take a safety class before attempting.
Petoskey has better walk signs than Traverse City. This is true. They have a count-down system for the walk sign, giving pedestrians and cyclists actual TIME to get across. They also have pedestrian signs that display the word STOP in a convincing way. Michael Vargo, Petoskey chief of public safety, said he believes it’s one reason why accidents were fairly rare this summer within the city limits.
Leelanau County has an attitude toward bikers. It kind of seems that way, said Phil Lang, a mechanic at the City Bike Shop in Traverse City. “I once nearly got hit by a Leland school bus. If I hadn’t dove into the ditch, he would have wiped me out. When I called him on the phone, he said, ‘Didn’t you see me coming?’ He barely spoke English.” “I think most people are cool, but you remember the assholes,” Lang continued. “I think the most tolerant drivers are on Old Mission Peninsula. Maybe they’ve just been worn down over the years, but they’re very cool. And they get put to the test because some people don’t take drivers into consideration. There are too many and in big groups. They need to break it up some.” Speaking of that, Janssens said that cyclists may have the legal right to ride two abreast, but it’s not realistic when cars are present. “If there are cars behind you, ride in single file and hug the road. That’s what I teach in my course. I think it’s outrageous for cyclists to take up the road while cars are waiting to pass.”
Bike safety classes are offered by Brick Wheels in Traverse City and Latitude 45 Cycle and Sport in Petoskey (check out their website). The Cherry Capital Cycling Club, and the North Country Bicycling Club also promote bicycling safety.
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