Please support these two bills (Arlington, Manassas: felony, high school, live)

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

This law applies to driver side doors. I cannot imagine cycling between parked cars and the curb (cycletracks excepted). Im sure its illegal.

Of course cycling on trails should be done at proper speed and with due caution. Thats one reason we need to make cycling on ROADS safe.

Yes there are cyclist horror stories. I have observed pedestrians on trails doing very stupid and dangerous things. I do not, on that basis, oppose legislation to make walking safer.

I don't think I've ever seen an out of control, speeding, dangerous pedestrian. Lol.

[757Cities Southsider]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

Small steps can help bicycling in Virginia - Greater Greater Washington

one would make it unlawful to follow a bike too closely (its currently unlawful to follow another motor vehicle too closely, but not a bike)

The other would require the exercise of care when opening the driver side door of a parked vehicle - this would have safety benefits for drivers, but especially for cyclists.

Why have people no more COMMON SENSE that they need a LAW for these matters?

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

At least motorists are required to carry car insurance. Maybe if cyclists were required to do the same..

thats been discussed. There are a lot of issues - for example do you require 10 year olds to carry insurance? And to be enforceble you would need license plates on bikes, which would be an issue on many bike designs. You could require it only for riding on the road, I suppose, but since the occasions where cyclists harm others are more often on trails and sidewalks, that seems silly.

In fact most cyclists are also drivers, and many of the rest carry homeowners or renters insurnance that covers liability. So its not really a big problem.

I do suspect that many folks who would like to make cycling less convenient find it a good idea though.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

I don't think I've ever seen an out of control, speeding, dangerous pedestrian. Lol.

how about ones who walk oblivously across a shared use path? or who STAND in the shared use path. Or whose dog leash reaches all the way across a shared use path. Or who walk in on road bike lanes? IN the wrong direction, as a bonus. Or of course, the ones who cross busy streets while staring at a cell phone?

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

thats been discussed. There are a lot of issues - for example do you require 10 year olds to carry insurance? And to be enforceble you would need license plates on bikes, which would be an issue on many bike designs. You could require it only for riding on the road, I suppose, but since the occasions where cyclists harm others are more often on trails and sidewalks, that seems silly.

In fact most cyclists are also drivers, and many of the rest carry homeowners or renters insurnance that covers liability. So its not really a big problem.

I do suspect that many folks who would like to make cycling less convenient find it a good idea though.

I think that cyclists need to start cracking down on other cyclists when they see them behaving in an idiotic manner.

I don't think licenses/insurance are needed at all when bikes are ridden in low speed areas (like residential streets). But down Braddock Road or 29, heck ya. I don't see little kids doing that (ever), nor should they.

Bike/hiking paths are more complicated. In general, most people on those trails tend to know what they're doing/what times to ride. Accidents are generally not high speed, although there was an elderly lady killed fairly recently by a cyclist over in Arlington, so it does happen...

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by 757Cities Southsider

Why have people no more COMMON SENSE that they need a LAW for these matters?

I agree with this. It was my first thought regarding the proposed "door opening" law. I already think we are over-legislated. What ever happened to common sense? Do we need a law telling us how to do something so simple?

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by phrekyos

That's where I live and, like every other law, cyclists completely ignore it.

Im sure some do. I find in Fairfax, many cyclists (mostly folks who ride old bikes and have no helmets - and who appear to come from countries with different biking cultures) often ride the sidewalk, even where there is a very rideable service lane available. I suspect thats due to poor education. I stronly support more biking education, and signage to remind cyclists that they belong in the road. Maybe in some places more enforcement is necessary. I would support that.

I also think drivers need to be more educated about cycling.

And about a lot of other things. like for example that the maximum speed limit, is in fact a maximum. That you can make a right on red only AFTER coming to a complete stop. etc, etc.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

I think that cyclists need to start cracking down on other cyclists when they see them behaving in an idiotic manner.
.

How? Im not a cop, I dont have powers of arrest. We dont expect drivers to crack down on other drivers.

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

how about ones who walk oblivously across a shared use path? or who STAND in the shared use path. Or whose dog leash reaches all the way across a shared use path. Or who walk in on road bike lanes? IN the wrong direction, as a bonus. Or of course, the ones who cross busy streets while staring at a cell phone?

I used to ride my bike around paths every day and, yes, those people are out there. And as a cyclist I knew that I had to watch out for them, look ahead, anticipate...

Most cyclists do just that.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

I agree with this. It was my first thought regarding the proposed "door opening" law. I already think we are over-legislated. What ever happened to common sense? Do we need a law telling us how to do something so simple?

have you actually riden much - I personally dont find this a big issue in fairfax, cause most cars parked on roads I would bike on (other than my own little subdivision) the cars are there for storage it seems, and there isnt a lot of ingress and egress to them.

OTOH in arlington, in one or two hours of biking down a main drag, I saw one instance of someone keeping their door open IN THE BIKE LANE while they looked at their phone - plus one instance of a some minivan stopped in the bike lane, while they talked to their passenger they had just let out - and of course a couple of trucks etc in the bike lane.

In the case of the minivan, after waiting a couple of minutes, I asked him to move - he told me to just go around (IE into the traffic lane, where so many forum posters think bikes should not be)