Letter to the Editor: Put some responsibility on cyclists

Source: <a id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_hlSource" href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/01/10/put-some-responsibility-cyclists/96352248/" target="_blank">Des Moines Register
Author: Phil Crum
Posted By: <a id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_hlPostedBy" href="/Profile/bikeiowajess">bikeiowajess
Modified: <span id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_lblModifiedBy" title="1/13/2017 5:46:30 PM by bikeiowajess">Jan 13, 2017 by <a id="MainContent_MainColumnContentPlaceHolder_hlModifiedBy" href="/Profile/bikeiowajess">bikeiowajess

Phil Crum
Tue January 10 2017
Posted Jan 13, 2017
6,272

In the Jan. 7 Des Moines Register [Iowa's total highest in decade], it was reported that 2016 had the highest number of cycling deaths in a decade.

Once again, we hear about making traffic laws to make it safer for cyclists on the roads. It is always presented as the driver's responsibility. How can you make it safer for cyclists if they are hard to see? When new laws are proposed, why is there never any of the weight of these put on the cyclists? They wear dark clothes and are bent over the handlebars of their bikes trying to make a low profile.

We have large farm equipment on these roads and they have very large reflectors to help us see them but there is nothing on a bike, which is far harder to see. Laws for vehicles to move over will do no good if the cyclist is hard to see. How about requiring large flashing lights on bicycles as well?

— Phil Crum, Cumming