Perhaps I should appreciate James Rush’s grudging willingness to wait behind road cyclists until it’s safe to pass ("A Clash of Motorists and Bicyclists", May 16). But when he says bicyclists who don’t get out of his way aren’t "sharing the road", he is misconstruing the meaning of that phrase seen on signs around the region. The "share the road" message is simply meant to instruct drivers to allow cyclists to operate in the same space based on the rules of the road. Signs with this message are in no way asking cyclists or anyone else to leave the road, speed up, move over (except where legally required) or behave in some fashion beyond just riding legally. If there’s no opportunity for a driver to pass a slower cyclist, sharing means following behind the cyclist. If there’s ample width, sharing may mean driving next to the cyclist, with certain exceptions.
Perhaps jurisdictions should replace "share the road" signs on narrow roads with the message "bicyclists may use full lane". Under Maryland law, a cyclist in a right-hand lane that isn’t wide enough to share side by side with a car may ride in any position within the lane. This law was passed so cyclists could ride in the safest position in a narrow lane, which is most often – counter-intuitively – in the middle of the lane. Riders who hug the right edge of a narrow lane encourage drivers to try to squeeze by when there isn’t room, putting the cyclist at great risk. Mr. Rush complains that cyclists at the roadway edge don’t ride in a straight line, but that’s often impossible to do without risk of falling on crumbling pavement or debris that collects there – another reason why riding in the middle is advisable. Getting sandwhiched between cars and bad pavement isn’t courteous; it’s dangerous.
If Mr. Rush wants to know how to drive safely on rural roads with limited sight distance, it’s to slow down around curves in anticipation of slower vehicles or road hazards ahead. That’s how I was taught to drive.
Jack Cochrane
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https://groups.yahoo.com/group/MontgomeryBike/message/9122
Related: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-clash-of-motorists-and-bicyclists/2011/05/09/AFMvhQ4G_story.htmloldId.20110516160318877
2 Replies to “Another stupid "share the road means get out of my way" letter – Response”
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I disagree with your interpretation of Mr Rush’s opinion. I have not ridden for quite a while, but I rode on many country roads in my time. I rode alone or with one or two others. I rode to the right and stayed out of the motor vehicle’s way. I did not ride with groups because they were an unsafe impediment to traffic. Cyclists have no right to ride side-by-side; they should generally be to the right. There are instances when it is necessary to ‘take the lane’, but those times are relatively seldom and probably do not occur on country roads.
It is important, tho, to change that ‘Share the road’ sign because it is ambiguous.
My main assertion is that in more aggressive traffic cyclists need to be more assertive.
Without knowing what country road and what day of week and time it is hard to say where cyclists should ride without sacrificing safety. In Carrol County outside of Westminster for example it is generally fairly safe for cyclists to hug the right. Other counties it is harder to generalize as a lot of locations while technically rural have way too much traffic and angst filled drivers to generalize where one "should" ride. And please remember Larry Bensky who was killed riding right on a country road. Times, they are a changing.
Legally cyclists can ride two a breast but MUST go single file when a car has a hard time passing (that can be longer then two seconds so be patient.)
Many cyclists prefer riding in groups for the safety in numbers effect. And there are ways to ride in groups without a serious impediment to traffic. I am generally impress with Baltimore Bicycling Club and the instructions for group rides but there are a lot of other cycling groups both formal and informal that may not be following suite.
Thanks for agreeing that "Share the Road is ambiguous and should be changed.