This morning, on my regular bike commute to school, I was reminded of why it's a good idea that we all obey the rules of the road. While waiting at a red light, I heard a loud screech-boom (yes, it was one sound) and saw a bicyclist flying in the air to my left. The bicyclist appeared shaken and his bike was a bit mangled. The driver was in tears. My heart was pounding (yes, even more than usual).
As my light stayed red, I had the time to reconstruct the crash in my mind and realized that the cyclist had run a red light. It made me feel a little better knowing that - I obey the traffic signals, so that will not happen to me. Still, I felt bad for the cyclist - his day, and possibly his bike, was ruined. I felt even worse for the driver - she didn't cause the accident.
Still, even if cyclists obey the laws, they're still vulnerable. At the very end of my training ride on Sunday, a driver nearly pulled out of a liquor store driveway right in front of me. I yelled "STOP" as loud as I could, and was safe. He probably thinks I'm a jerk. I was just happy to get home in one piece.
Cyclists and drivers - please obey the rules of the road. They are there for your own safety!
PS - the above photo is a dramatic reenactment of the crash I witnessed this morning. No kittens were harmed in the taking of the photo. :)
I'm heading to Chicago for the summer, and my bike is coming with me. Thats ol' AC/DC in the box in the above photo! Together we'll tackle the flat roads of the Midwest and Chicago's beautiful Lakefront bike path. It's all preparation for the big event in August, which I'll be flying back for.
