Same rules apply
I am writing to clarify my previous letter. I apologize for putting all pedal bikers into the same category of brainless pedal bikers.
My intention was to pinpoint the pedal bikers who think it is within their rights to ride in the vehicle lane of the highway.
The Motor Vehicles Act states, “a person operating a cycle on a highway shall ride as near as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway.”
People’s lives are at risk every day as we go to our jobs and have to dodge these pedal bikers on the highway. I am taking the necessary steps to keep myself and my family safe.
The Motor Vehicles Act also states that “A person operating a cycle on a highway shall not ride to the side of another cycle travelling in the same direction, but shall ride directly in line to the rear or front of the other cycle, except when overtaking and passing the other cycle.”
I am writing this letter to inform pedal bikers and organizers of road relays, that I will not hesitate for one second to speed-dial the RCMP if I see these laws being broken. It is illegal to ride on the left side of the white line, and beside each other on the highway.
I am not putting my life in jeopardy any longer from this nonsense on the highway. Almost every weekend in the summer, I load my boat and head for a lake only to find a road relay congesting the highway.
It takes me an extra 45 minutes to get where I am going because I have to slow to 60 km/h an hour or slower just to avoid hitting pedal bikers and their support vehicles. The constant braking is extremely hard on my equipment, not to mention the poor tractor trailer drivers with their big rigs.
Road relayers are very selfish people who think it’s okay to ride left of the white line, and have support vehicles parked all over the highway. Is it really going to take for someone to die, or serious injury to occur for you to realize how dangerous your actions are?
Bylaws have now been passed or are passing for ATVers and snowmobilers. I had to take a course for safe boat operation.
I have to register and insure all my “toys” that I have. I am asking the government and the public: why are the same rules not applied to pedal bikers?
There is way more danger on highways from road relays than any boating activity that I have ever seen.
Most dangerous of all are pedal bikers mingling with traffic. They seem to think they are right and have no respect for people in vehicles that actually pay insurance to drive on these roads.
You may try to take my freedom of where, how and when I can ride my dirt bike, ATV, boat and streetbike ... but darned if the rest of town ain’t living by the same rules.
Rita Smith
Whitehorse
11 Comments
Be careful, Rita…If you ever do hit a cyclist, your written words in your letters most definitely are “threatening.” Any accident you may have with a cyclist could be interpreted as pre-meditated based on what you’ve written.
LOL…You guys think I have never ever ridden a pedal bike in my life. I own two. I used to pedal bike every day to school. I cannot pedal bike at this time in my life as I live to far out of town as well as I have scoliosis which pulls my back muscles very bad. I am a hiker, outdoor enthusiast. My husband and I ride our pedal bikes on occasion. I have spoken with Bylaw and RCMP and both agreed I have very valid points and they will be handing tickets out. I have just as much “hate on” for people that use their cell phones while driving. What frusterates me is all the laws that have been imposed against ATVers and snowmobilers….and there is just as much danger on the roads with cyclists not obeying the law. I have spoken with RCMP (Shawn Pollard..highway patrol) and yes, the law states that you have to ride as far right as practicable….which means if its it the middle of summer and you have a nice clear section of road on the right hand side…use it. But there are so many bikers that don’ t obey that law and CONTINUE to ride side by side. I have the law on my side , as we have spoken many times so the pedal bikers that don’t obery the law..buck up, admit your wrong and ride accordingly so everyones safe.
Rita “Calm Down girl” I am an older rider and spend a bit of time on the road. Some of the shoulders on the road are in horrible shape and are not good to ride on at all. Sometimes that requires the rider to go around these areas. 99% of all drivers give bikes as much room as they can. Even if you cross the center line to do so what is the problem if nothing is coming? Every one in this town it seems has a problem with what every one else does. Why all the controversy why not just cut a little slack and maybe take a pill.
HAHAHA this is funny that she even believes that cyclists are un insured. I have to pay for a licence and insurance through the UCI to race my bike period no exceptions.
A road relay almost every weekend? You must live in a different territory than I do.
I think this is a joke. She got everyone (pedal bikers and responsible motorists) real good…
...oh and Rita you might want to check a couple of things. First being that people pay taxes which pay for roads…not insurance…so “pedal bikers” also pay for the roads. You might also want to review legislation and legal cases/precedents that involve motorists not giving the right of way to pedestrians or cyclists that result in injury to the pedestrians or cyclists (hint: usually the motorist is charged and convicted). There is a significant onus on you as the motorist to do everything reasonable to operate your vehicle safely including giving the right of way to pedestrians and cyclists just as those operating power boats must give way to non-motorized vessels such as canoes and kayaks on our waterways.
Make sure you pull over before you go into a tirade and hit speed dial…somewhere in that legislation is also the part about not operating your cell phone while also operating your motor vehicle. Frankly I have had more problems with that than with any cyclists.
You’re kidding, right Rita? This has to be a joke. You got all of us! Ha ha ha…
Just think about all those informed people who see right through the holes in Rita’s letter. I suggest (if serious) they call their lawyer and insurance agency to clarify the ‘at fault’ status of a collision should one happen.
Shesh.
Rita,
Your quotes of the motor vehicles act are absolutely valid. Your statements, however are not. I’m sorry. The “right side of the white line” is not always synonymous with “as close as practicable to the right side of the roadway.” I enjoy sharing a roadway (read “transportation route for all users who pay taxes”) with everyone who follows common sense and the guidelines as they are set out in the motor vehicles act.
I’m a cyclist. I cringe when I see another cyclist not following the ‘rules’, but always am cautious and yield to their actions. During a collision, the cyclist always ‘looses’.
So please, Rita, take the time to ride your bike around town one day, following the road rules. And, be sure to wear your helmet. Oh, and if you’re riding your bike within City limits, be sure to register the serial number with City by-law. You do have a bike, right?
I’ll give you a little heads up to, just in case you’re planning to travel to Haines, AK in June. There’s a cycling road relay. How about you give the RCMP a call and let them know ahead of time, cell reception can be spotty out there. Be careful not to have a collision there too, god forbid you would have to slow to 60 km/h or less to yield to slower (or stopped) vehicles.
Perhaps talk to a pedal biker and maybe exchange shoes for just one day. You ride a “pedal bike” down the highway and see how it feels to have someone in their ‘toy’ drive by at 110 km/hr, and then have them drive in your ‘toy’ down the highway and slow down to pass some ‘pedal bikers’.
It’s hard to drum up a lot of empathy for someone in a multi-ton metal vehicle who has to slow to 60 km/hr with a rant like that.
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