Let’s all use our roads sensibly
Don Perkins asks what we think of his idea to wear bicycling clothes in order to “blow through stop signs and run red lights” with his motor vehicle (Enterprise letters, Feb. 19). That is a splendid idea as long as he takes the following steps.
* Reduce the weight of his vehicle to 25 pounds, so that the chance of injury is far greater to himself than to his potential collision victims.
* Saw off every part of the vehicle above his shoulders for unrestricted visibility.
* Move the seat close to the front bumper, so that his vehicle can’t “nose ahead” relative to the driver’s point of view.
* Obtain a completely silent engine, to easily hear approaching traffic.
* Restrict his speed to 15 miles per hour, so there is extra time to look and listen just before entering intersections.
* Be courteous at intersections when there is other traffic and stop when needed for safety. Recognize that the expectations of other road users vary widely so it’s not always obvious what to do.
* Ask legislators and everyone he meets why typical human behavior is used to set speed limits (e.g., California Vehicle Code sections 627 and 22357) but why, unlike some other states, California law fails to accommodate safe and natural human behavior for bicycles entering intersections.
* Demand correction of yet another double standard that indicates an obvious car-culture bias. Dividing distance by time is the physically accurate way to measure speed, so why is this calculation illegal evidence, a “speed trap” (California Vehicle Code 40801 and 40802)? In stark contrast, dogmatic letter-of-the-law compliance for bicycles stopping completely is a popular notion. Recently, Davis police have waited near stop signs to trap people, regardless of the presence of other traffic.
* Insist to legislators that all traffic officers and judges be required to travel sometimes on bicycles or in his special 25-pound vehicle, so that they can make wise decisions based on realistic experience. Then Perkins might be able to enjoy acceptance and understanding of his new-found freedom to use the roads in a sensible manner.
John Whitehead
Davis
Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=139413
View this story on page A6
Posted by Letters to the Editor
on Feb 22 2012.
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John, while I can appreciate your wit in this letter, I can’t help but think it is really irresponsible. The reality is what the reality is…. we share the road. And the point of the safety laws is….. well, safety. With a focus on PREDICTABLE behavior. Like… if you are a vehicle transporting human bodies you will actually stop at a stop sign. Not blow through, not evade, not slide through… you will actually stop. So, when I drive my car, I stop at all stop signs. Always. And when I ride my bike I stop at all stop signs. The vast majority of the times. (I should do better).
Let’s share the road… intelligently and cooperatively.