Alert: State drivers test is still a joke as far as rights and responsibilities toward bicyclists
It really yanks my chain when a "professional" producing material for adult competency to drive a one ton killing machine, write them if they were a high school juveniles. Can we please treat this with some dignity and professionalism?
You can take the on-line sample test here.
Seriously, what are the top pedestrian issues? I would put drivers not stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks near the top.
But MVA seems to think drivers buzzing a blind person is a major contributing factor in our 4th highest pedestrian fatality ratting Here is MVA's question:
If you are the car in this picture, and you see a blind pedestrian walking with a guide dog ahead on your side of the road, what should you do?
- Speed up and see how close you can get.
- Stop and tell them that they should be walking on the other side.
- Exercise extreme care and be prepared to stop.
I would think showing the pedestrian (blind or other wise) trying to cross and saying the driver HAS to stop, would be a lot better. But What is this question even in the test for? Comic relief? Is this even remotely professional given that bike/ped issues only get one question out of the test? We comprise over 20% of the traffic fatalities so we should be getting four questions not just one.
How about bicycling top issues? How about how to safely share the road with bicyclists? And oh look MVA has one of the signs used in part to indicate share the road up on their test, are they going to get close on this one? (Note two tries of the test to get both questions, they are NOT on the same test.) MVA's question:
THIS ROAD SIGN MEANS:
- Bicycle crossing/bike path
- Stop only if other cars are approaching
- Soft shoulders for motorcycles
- Yield right-of-way
If you were hoping that there is some mention on the drivers test that bicyclists have the right-of-way, well there isn't, as that's not what this sign means as it needs another bit that says "share the road" to mean "share the road ". So we MUST emphasize that ween you see this sign it does not mean bicyclists have a right-of-way.
What's even more bizarre is Maryland does not use the sign (W1-11) solo it uses W1-15 (a bike and ped together) and this sign is in violation of standard guidance for W1-11:
Standard:
Bicycle Warning signs, when used at the location of the crossing, shall be supplemented with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7p) plaque (see Figure 9B-3) to show the location of the crossing.
Oh great, we are testing drivers to know what a sign that does not follow MUTCD guidance means and when we do use this "bit" with a "share-the-road" sign we are teaching drivers that it means cyclists DO NOT have the right-of-way because we have NO "share the road" sign example in the handbook. A recent Washington Post letter the writer thinks "Share The Road" means "Cyclists Must Get Out Of The Way" and no wounder our Drivers' Handbook incorrectly states "A bicycle should be operated as close to the right side of the road as practical and safe." So legal errors in the Drivers' Hand book and standard guidance errors in the Drivers' Test (not to mention ONE of these questions is the ONLY question a driver will see on this topic.
What's worse our voice in MDOT, the Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access is defending this junk!
Write the Governor and ask for some semblance of professional questions on Maryland's drivers' test that deal with major bicycle and pedestrian issues for example take something from Bicycle Safety: It's a Two Way Street. They recently redid the on-line practice test and it is still a major joke on bicycle and pedestrian issues.
governor@gov.state.md.us
cc: bswaim-staley@mdot.state.md.us
The W1-11 and W1-15 signs:
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