OKLAHOMA CITY — Bicycling groups across the state said they support a new legislative package designed to protect riders and motorists. However, many cyclists are calling for the state to do more to educate residents and enforce existing laws and practices.
After a recent series of serious bicycle-related accidents in the state, Sen. Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, announced this week he intends to draft legislation that will include “common sense” rules regarding bike safety. Although the details still are being worked out, he said his proposed bill would be similar to one Colorado signed into law last year.
The Colorado Bike Safety Act included language clarifications and new provisions for passing, lane positioning, side-by-side riding and other measures. Since Oklahoma already passed some key portions of these laws, such as one that establishes a minimum distance of 3 feet for motorists who pass cyclists, some say adopting a similar package is a good start, but more can be done.
“I am excited to a certain point, but I’m also very leery because there is not much more you can do to regulate and put in new laws with restrictions,” said Matt Bradbury, vice president of the Ada Cycling Club. “The biggest thing really is education and awareness.”
Kevin Mussett, president of the Oklahoma Bicycling Coalition, said even if the legislative changes are small, he would still consider it a “major victory” for improving bicycle safety in the state. With the League of American Bicyclists ranking Oklahoma the 44th most friendly bicycle state, Mussett said any legislative change that clarifies laws, helps law enforcement better understand the rules or creates more attention for the issue is a big step forward.
In a news release, Rice said he plans to work with his fellow lawmakers, public safety officials and “others concerned with this issue” to craft the bill that he will file during the 2011 legislative session. Mussett said his organization hopes to work with Rice to include the creation a statewide bicycle council, which would provide ongoing recommendations to the state, as part of the legislation. Smaller scale projects, such as posting warning signs where past accidents occurred, also should be included, he said.
“I’m sure if we had three construction workers instead of cyclists who were killed in recent weeks, we would see public service announcements and alerts when driving into dangerous construction areas,” Mussett said.
David Seng, president of the Bicycle League of Norman said he would like to see the state invest more in creating bike routes in urban and residential areas. Second to that, he said educating all residents about proper safety techniques, including why riders of all ages should wear helmets, is critically important.
“And it goes both ways for bikers and motorists,” he said. “Bikers need to know all the rules of the road, and motorists need to be educated about bicyclists on the road and how they are going to observe the laws.”
Education is equally important for law enforcement officials, said Mary Cash, a member of the Stillwater Red Dirt Peddlers Bicycle Club. Cash said there already are a “tremendous” number of laws applying to cyclists on the books, and officials should also explore other means to make the roads safer. She said passing something similar to the Colorado Bicycle Safety Act “appears to be nothing more than a starting point.”
Don Norvelle, also with the Red Dirt Peddlers, said there have been circumstances in Stillwater where police were not aware of the 3-foot passing restriction, and too often he said police assume cyclists are at fault when there is a collision with a vehicle. In addition to more training, he said a new law should include provisions to enhance record keeping for bicycle crashes.
“We need better statistics to reinforce the information, and to give us a clue of what is really going on out there,” he said.
Bicycle advocates argue changes are needed because of the continuing cycle of accidents involving bicycles and motorists. More than 300 people were injured and 11 were killed in bicycle accidents in the state last year, according to Oklahoma Highway Safety Office statistics. The office reports this year that 150 accidents and three deaths occurred, including a Stillwater bicyclist who was killed earlier this month when she collided head-on with a pickup.
Bradbury, who has been riding for about 30 years, said he has seen several of his friends killed or paralyzed after accidents involving cyclists and motorists. And after seeing the popularity of cycling pick up recently through much of the state, he said now is the time to address the safety issues.
“Deaths are only going to increase,” he said. “So if there is a way to do something, then that’s great.”
Trevor Brown covers the Oklahoma statehouse for CNHI and The Transcript. He can be reached at tbrown@cnhi.com
