BIKE: Driver's Education

[David Dobbs]

At 21:45 -0700 10/11/04, dana_price wrote:
>The TX licensing system does nothing to
>educate drivers about the rights of alternative transportation users.

So far as I know, the Texas licensing system does nothing to educate 
drivers, period, beyond perhaps handing them a rule book.

When I was teaching school, when my own children were in high school, 
everyone had to take driver's education and my own children are 
better drivers for it.  Today when traffic is so much worse and the 
roads so much more dangerous, we no longer have drivers ed in the 
school.

I also understand that the number of students who ride a bike to 
school has diminished to the point that it is negligible.  In the 
1970's the bike three large racks at Crockett High School were full. 
Now you can find but a handful of bikes at Crockett on any given 
school day.

Dave Dobbs
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Texas Association for Public Transportation
9702 Swansons Ranch Road
Austin, Texas 78748
Ph 512.282.1149

Visit our website at  http://www.lightrailnow.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




At 21:45 -0700 10/11/04, dana_price wrote:
>Folks,
>
>I came across the scene of an accident this evening about 10:20 as I was
>driving home down S. Congress. This time I was in the car, but Live Oak
>and Congress is on my daily bike commute route.
>
>A witness had stopped a car in the center lane near where the man had
>fallen and several people were there, including the man's friend. I only
>stayed until help arrived because Liam was asleep in the car and I didn't
>have any information or skils that would have helped.
>
>The cyclist was unconscious but breathing, and there was blood on the
>pavement. It shook me up to see the scene, I guess that's why I felt that
>I had to write. Could have been any of us. Though he wasn't wearing a
>helmet, the bike had lights- at least, a rear blinkie. I didn't see the
>front.
>
>The driver who had hit him had fled the scene.
>
>I'm not going to speculate how it happened- there was at least one person
>who says he saw it, so perhaps someone can find the police report.
>Sometimes there's something either party could have done to prevent it.
>
>I would like to see us as a cycling community think about some things:
>- how can we educate both cyclists and motorists about principles of safe
>driving? How can we make cyclist education available to ordinary working
>class folks who probably would never consider taking a class or visiting
>Michael Bluejay's website.
>I would almost prefer having a license or certification for cyclists. I'm
>sure this will set folks howling, but it would be one way of teaching
>everyone the same rules. I would also like to see drivers have to
>correctly answer a test on interacting with non-motorized traffic before
>getting a license or renewal. The TX licensing system does nothing to
>educate drivers about the rights of alternative transportation users.
>- Rather than trying to teach folks to live with a potentially unsafe
>situation, what can be done to make the road system safer? A lot of
>studies are done on the causes of auto accidents, can we push for the same
>for bike/ped accidents?
>Maybe the speed limit on SoCo needs to be lower? After all, it runs right
>through neighborhoods and sees a lot of bike/ped traffic. I would like to
>see a more concerted challenge to the dominant paradigm that moving cars
>quickly is the #1 priority. I don't think traffic on Congress needs to be
>going 40.
>
>Sorry for the long post
>
>_______________________________________________
>Get on or off this list here:  http://BicycleAustin.info/list

==================
Dave Dobbs
ddobbs
Austin, Texas
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