Driver-cyclist road rage seems to be on rise
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
By Terry Judd
He was taking in the early morning air as he rode his bicycle down Grand Haven's Washington Avenue early Memorial Day morning to catch a 65-mile group bike ride to Allendale and back.
But as he approached Beacon Boulevard, the driver of a pickup truck yelled for him to get off the street and onto the sidewalk. The cyclist yelled back that he had every right to be on the street.
Then it got ugly, according to the cyclist, who asked that his name not be used because of safety concerns.
The truck screeched to a stop and seconds later the two were standing face to face exchanging words and expletives. Then, without warning, the driver slugged the cyclist in the face. The cyclist hit back, knocking the driver to the ground.
"You're lucky I didn't have a gun," the motorist said as he got back into his truck and the cyclist rode off.
Welcome to the latest version of road rage -- car-bike style.
As more and more residents take to the streets on bicycles, there is a growing feeling among bicycle enthusiasts that motorists are getting more frustrated with having to share the road.
Tom Anderson, owner and operator of The Bicycle Rack, 1790 Roberts, Muskegon, said he has noticed a growing driver impatience this spring even as he rides to work each day. This rage can range from obscene gestures to yells from motorists driving their vehicles in a threatening manner.
"Honestly, I think there is a problem," he said. "There are more bicyclists out there because of the high price of gas. I also believe drivers are in too much a hurry. The world's getting to be very self-centered. There's this attitude that 'This is my place in the world and what you are doing as a cyclist is interfering."'
In northwest Ottawa County, the problem may be exacerbated by the number of non-motorized vehicle trails recently constructed throughout much of the county. Many motorists incorrectly believe bicyclists are required to use the paths and stay off the road.
Ken Polidan, owner of Breakaway Bicycles with stores in Norton Shores and Grand Haven, said he sees a correlation between the presence of bike paths and motorist intolerance of cyclists on roadways. His shop used to organize group bike rides down Lakeshore Drive in Ottawa County until non-motorized vehicle paths were constructed there about 10 years ago. He said that's when the yelling and dangerous driving behavior by motorists began.
"The motorists got more and more outrageous so we shifted our ride to Leonard Road," he said.
Anderson agrees that most motorists don't understand that non-motorized paths must be shared by pedestrians, roller skaters, mothers with strollers, joggers and those in wheelchairs.
"Getting on those paths for a serious bike rider is like putting a motorized vehicle on a sidewalk," he said. "You're risking serious accidents."
So, most serious cyclists stay on the road, risking the occasional confrontation.
Many of the complaints have come from northwest Ottawa County. The first was on Leonard in Ottawa County when a driver of a pickup truck roared around a group of cyclists, then slammed on his brakes, apparently trying to cause a mass pile-up.
Several weeks later, a cyclist was struck by a right outside mirror when the driver of a yellow Jeep on Lakeshore Drive deliberately drove close to a group of cyclists riding in single file. The cyclist was not injured but a complaint report was filed with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department.
There have been near collisions, including last Thursday when the driver of a Hummer refused to give the group any space on Lakeshore Drive and drove dangerously close to the riders, blasting his horn as he rapidly accelerated.
The concern has been so great this year that several bike enthusiasts have contacted the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department to see what can be done to better educate drivers and cyclists alike. Sgt. Steve Austin said education is the key and his department will be looking at working with area bicycle shops to promote a "share the road campaign."
Austin said there has not been an increase in car-bike accidents this year, noting that most car-bike accidents involve youngsters and not serious cyclists. Ottawa County has recorded 17 bike accidents with 13 injuries. This compares to 2006 with 75 bike accidents with 65 injuries, and 2005 with 73 mishaps with 59 injuries.
Tim Meyer, owner of Rock 'n' Road, 300 N. Seventh, Grand Haven, recently met with Austin and believes there are a number of reasons for the growing conflict among motorists and cyclists, including the increasing number of cars and bicycles on the highways. Meyer said motorists are surprisingly ignorant of the rights of cyclists to be on the roads.
"There is ignorance by cyclists and motorists alike on the law and Michigan vehicle codes," he said. "Most motorists don't know you can ride two abreast on bicycles. And cyclists sometimes think they can ride three across. Everyone agrees that education is needed for cyclists and motorists."
Rick Moeller, executive director of the Michigan League of Bicyclists, said he is not sure motorist anger toward cyclists is worse this year, but agrees it has been a problem.
"Unfortunately, it is a fact of life," he said. "For some reason, we get into a car and lose a sense of who we are. Bicyclists also are not immune from doing some pretty stupid things to create some of this problem. Everyone needs to learn to share the road, that we all have a right to be there."
To promote safety, Moeller's group, through the Michigan Department of Community Health has published a "What Every Michigan Bicyclist Must Know" handbook and sponsors several events stressing bicycle safety.
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