How can we make the roads safer for those who share the road with bicyclists - Thesis Example

Bicycle is emerging as a popular mode of transport and it gives its hundred percent to the owner. The question can be answered by addressing the psychology of the road users of different types of vehicles and better traffic education by the controlling authorities. The roads must be safer for all those who share them with bicyclists. Every life is precious, that of the rider on the bicycle or the gentleman driving the car. An accident is an accident and we know that it is an accident only when it happens!

Deaths and injuries from car-bike collisions are common. It’s a human problem: The blame game-the motorists claiming the exclusive rights on the road, and the cyclists demanding equal rights-- is no solution to the issue. For road fatalities, cyclists are not alone responsible. The reasons are varied. Carelessness of the adventurous rider, mechanical problems, and bad road conditions are some of them. The cyclists demand their right on the road along with safety. An individual must first live to exercise the right!

It is not a posthumous award! The argument that if there is no bicycle lane, the road should be out of bound for the cyclists, may be technically correct, but it defies solution. The motorists need to give up the How can we make the roads safer for bicyclists AND those who share the road with bicyclists? stand that they are born to race the car at 100-120 km per hour, from the moment it is out of the garage till the final destination, is a greedy and one-sided approach. Limit the speed and accommodate the bicycle riders, instead of going ballistic over them.

While tendering the advice I would address the session for the bicyclists first and urge them to follow the rules scrupulously. It is not a circus performance. Never zigzag to challenge the oncoming cars. Self-discipline is the life-saver. Cyclists demand rights on a city road, and that underlines perfect regard for the traffic rules. The end-results should be a win-win situation for all. The argument of the motorists that they have the exclusive rights to use the roads, for which they pay tax in dollars, is not perfect.

Cyclists too have paid taxes at the time of purchasing the bicycle (though indirectly) and they are citizens of the country subject to all other tax laws and rights guaranteed under the Constitution. Motorists have not been conferred with special rights. Not legal arguments, it’s the question of smooth flow of traffic No traffic law can be applied strictly under all circumstances. The question needs to be addressed prudently from the point of view of flow of traffic in a particular area/city.

For example, the traffic rules for the cyclists in the heart of the New York City and its distant suburbs needs to be different. The traffic police, with their expertise and experience, frames well-meaning rules for motorists and cyclists and it is in the interest of both to follow the rules. How can we make the roads safer for bicyclists AND those who share the road with bicyclists? Saving precious lives is more important than winning legal points in arguments. The one, who travels on bicycle, does so, not necessarily on account of non-affordability of a motor vehicle due to economic considerations, but may be due to the reality one has to face about the traffic congestion on city streets.

Cycling the distance has turned out to be an alternative mode of transport, and the issue has to be understood in that perspective. It is in the best