Sierra Club's Bicycle Statement
[B' Spokes: We live in a society where we tell drivers one thing and something opposite to pedestrians and cyclists and this needs to be corrected. Too many times I've heard "Cyclists/pedestrians have to yield to cars." (A practical (but wrong) interpretation of "Don''t be dead right.") I will strongly assert that it is the parents (auto drivers) that teach their kids how to "safely" bike or walk which includes perpetuating the myth that wrong way riding is safer and other fallacies. This needs to be correct, so with that I'll highlight how the Sierra Club put it:]
- Make a complete network
- Be context-appropriate
- Provide comfort
- Safety
- Engage the public
- Education
6. Education
All road users, whether they are cyclists, pedestrians or drivers, should understand their rights and responsibilities and the rights and responsibilities of others. In addition, the general public must see walking and biking as legitimate forms of transportation. This can be accomplished with an educational campaign focused on the rights of all road users, on safe travel habits and on the benefits of biking and walking.
- Teach bicycle and pedestrian safety in the driver's education curriculum, ensuring that young people know how to safely interact with all road users as drivers and can be more responsible bicyclists and pedestrians.
- Candidates for a driver's license should be required to answer and pass questions about bicycle and pedestrian safety.
- Incorporate bicycle and pedestrian safety into Montgomery County Public Schools' curriculum as well, potentially in physical education classes or in the health classes currently taught in 5th, 8th and 10th grades.
http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/support_bicycles.html
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