A Plea to Motorists

06
Mar
2013
By

I’ve totally had it with drivers and vehicles on the road.  The time is now for something to be done and it’s up to every one of us to make the roads safer.

This is the most important video I’ve ever done, and I invite you to watch and then share my plea to drivers around the world.  Yeah, it’s kind of long at 5:00 but I hope the message being spread is worth the time.

We’re not just people on bikes…we’re Dads, Moms, Daughters, Sons.  We need to get home safely.

 

Additional Links:

Be Kind to Cyclists

I Won’t Be THAT Sunday Driver

Verter Ginestra: We Lost Another of our Own

Drop the Phone

Invisibility

by www.bikeyface.com

Invisible cyclist

Invisible Cyclist

Invisible Cyclist

 

Enjoy Your Ride

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  • http://twitter.com/JordanMWhite9 Jordan White

    Wish I had seen this post sooner!

    We did a share the road campaign here in Joplin, Mo based off this entire premise! Billboards, Commercials, all that stuff! Here’s YouTube links to a couple of the commercials we made!


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvM_r8zOw1I

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      Awesome….I’m going to share these on social media for sure. Keep on spreading the good word.

  • http://twitter.com/PamelotH PamelaFaganHutchins

    Great post Darryl, so important!

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      Thanks Pamela….keep on sharing the message with your “Sunday Driver” campaign.

  • http://twitter.com/jonathandglover Jonathan Glover

    Great post, but there needs to be accountability on both sides. As someone recently driving again. I see the same, if not worse from cyclists – weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights, hopping on and off sidewalk at will with no regards for vehicles or pedestrians. I am more a cyclist than a driver…but the well-versed cyclists seem to be slight minority in Calgary. As a cyclist, I cringe when I see this as it gives the community a bad name. No wonder there is so much backlash against us when we cannot even obey simple traffic rules ourselves. I know this is never a popular option, but I am in favour of bike licensing if in conjunction with a basic road skills/safety course. Chance to to educate and get money for cycling infrastructure. And conversely, all driving courses need to have stronger elements of cycling awareness. Can’t we all get along? :)

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      You’re right, Jonathan….it’s up to both sides. Drivers need to focus on driving and pay attention. Cyclists need to be predictable and use good judgment.

  • http://www.facebook.com/daniela.froehlich.5 Daniela Froehlich-Ruggle

    Know exactly what you are talking about! The problem is, that most of drivers have never been on a bike and therefore do not understand bikes. Get the drivers on bikes and make them ride it on the roads so they can see how it is like, that might help bring awareness.

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      I was thinking about this comment from you today while our riding. I had a driver come very close to me and all I could think was how nice it would be if I could put that driver on my bike and then show him what it feels like to have that happen. After thinking about it, I also decided that I would want him on a different bike in case it scared him so much that he fell off.

  • WestAussieCycliste

    We should think of ways of expanding “strict liability” (where the larger vehicle is considered to be at fault) beyond civil law into criminal law. See… http://www.cycling-embassy.org.uk/wiki/dutch-cycle-because-strict-liability-made-everybody-drive-safely-and-play-nice

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      Totally.

  • Chris P.

    I’m feeling ya. We just had a visiting professor commuting on his bike get run over by a student not properly yielding. The professor is messed up but will thankfully recover. The cycling community here has really banded together so support him and his family.

    This is a great message and I hope change will come. In the mean time besides my short daily commute I stay off the pavement. We are lucky to be surrounded by miles of country gravel roads. Where you are more likely to have a dog chase you than a car fly by you. Unlearn pavement. It’s peaceful and very challenging. It’s a good mix for road and off road riders.

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      I’ve started going off road more myself. It’s a nice break from the traffic and switching things up with a mountain bike ride is refreshing as well.

  • http://www.reasons2ride.com/ Joel Phillips

    I hear you loud and clear Darryl, but I think you are only scratching the surface. Any more it seems like people have a blatant disregard the presence of other people. Wether they are driving a car, walking down the street, pushing a cart in a grocery store or opening a door at a Circle K. People are too wrapped up in their own little world to realize there are 6,999,999,999 other people on the planet with them and unless you are in the middle of the ocean or the Mojave desert chances are you will need to make concessions, as it is physically impossible for two people or objects to occupy the same space at the same time. I have hope though and I want to share it in form of a video: http://youtu.be/7NUI0jFAa4A this is a version of “Stand By Me” mixed with musicians from around the world and I think it is a wonderful representation of how harmonious we could all live together if we simply tried.

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      I’ve seen that video before….it rocks.

  • Dave

    Yes we all need to share this message.

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      Thanks Dave, keep on spreading it.

  • Sarah

    Sharing on the book of Faces right NOW! This is SO important….

    Sarah
    http://www.thinfluenced.com

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      Thanks Sarah.

  • Vsx1

    I’ve seen many road cyclists wearing dark colored jerseys – DON’T! They may look cool but you don’t look cool, bleeding to death wrapped around a bike frame. Wear something bright and loud. Or least cover a large part of you upper body in something bright. Drivers can’t see grey, black, or tiny spots of white 100s of yards away while at speed very well. I use fluorescent yellow shirts so I’m seen and even then I’ve had a few close calls. And drivers: WATCH for cyclists. We have the RIGHT to be there as much as you. We live here too.

    • http://twitter.com/snowandscience Ben Cowie

      This blame the victim approach is total BS. The responsibility is the drivers’ to not use their half ton of steel and rubber as a weapon. I ride in street clothes on my way to work, not fancy cycling gear, and I have lights for night riding. Creating safe streets requires drivers to be safe first – helmets, reflective gear are all counter-productive to attaining safe streets.

      • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

        Yeah, I agree with Ben on this one. If a driver is paying attention they can easily see a cyclist even if they are wearing a dark kit.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tim-Starry/100000742238449 Tim Starry

    well done!

    • http://lovingthebike.com Darryl is Loving the Bike

      Thanks Tim.

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